Sturgeon Composite High School - Creating A Work or Study Area

Improving Your Grades

Creating A Work or Study Area
Creating a good work or study area is an easy thing to accomplish and includes two key features. A good work area should simply be an area where you can focus your attentions at the job at hand. A good work area should have very few distractions that prevent you from doing your work.

Good Posture
First and foremost is maintaining good body posture while you work. Slouching or sitting in an uncomfortable position will become more and more painful over time and will reduce your ability to concentrate on your work. The best posture for doing homework is sitting on a firm chair, back straight and legs bent at 90° with your feet flat on the floor. Good posture means little discomfort while you sit and therefore little distraction while you work. Sitting in too soft of a chair or couch or laying on your bed may feel good for the first few minutes but will not provide the support you need to maintain proper poster over longer periods of time. Set up to work at a table or desk with a comfortable height when you are sitting in your chair.

Proper Lighting
Often overlooked, proper lighting also plays a very important role in establishing a good work or study area. The glare from too bright of a light is just as fatiguing as the eye strain from dim and insufficient light. Light sources should always be located in front of you. The best lighting occurs from above and on the opposite side of what you are trying to focus on. A light source located behind you will produce a shadow (from your head) on whatever it is that you are working on. Examples of good light sources include small desk or table lights located along the back edge of your desk and a ceiling light located directly over the the center of your kitchen or dining room table.

Location, Location, Location...
Do not set up a work area in a place where you will be interrupted repeatedly or distracted by video from a computer or television. Being distracted means that your work will take longer to accomplish. If you have limited time to work then being distracted will reduce the effectiveness of your efforts. The key is to work smarter, not harder. Some people find quiet music helps them to block out the distractions of what's going on in the next room or outside. Loud music however tends to be a distraction from working productively and should be left until your work or studying is done.

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