How Your Environment

Dulcemaria Anaya, M.Ed.

Stacie Jenkins, M.Ed.
Impacts Your Performance
Think of a time when you
were most productive in
studying and least
productive.
Where were you?
What was the time of day?
What were you studying?
Finding what works best for YOU
Ask Yourself:

1. Do I have a well-lighted space available to me for studying?
2. How often can I occupy this space and for how long?
3. Can I use that space during the time of day when I study best?
4. Do I need to study around other students who are studying?
5. Am I easily distracted by other responsibilities (housework, social media,
friends, ect.)?
6. Am I easily distracted my environment (conversations, people walking
by, scenery outside the window, etc.)?
Location
In your room
May be distracted by more
fun things
May associate your room with
socializing or sleep
Already have all your
materials around you
May be the least distracting
option for you
Greater possibility of getting
help from a roommate for
floormate.
Elsewhere
Must spend time organizing
your study materials, but also
requires you to set priorities
When you finish studying, you
get to leave your study space
physically and emotionally
May forget to bring necessary
materials
May get distracted on your
way to the study space, and
never make it (friends, etc.)
May encounter fewer
distractions

Time
of
Day
Find a regular time each day to study (it can become a habit when youre
consistent).
Study during the day where youre MOST alert
Especially for your most challenging courses
Most people have high energy in the morning and it goes down
throughout the end of the day.
Experiment: Study 2 hours in the morning and study 2 hours at night. Find out when
you were most productive and retained the information.

Sound
Short-term memory increases
speed with in noise, but with lesser
accuracy
Listening to ear buds/headphones
decreases retention/memory,
because sound has direct access to
your brain, interfering with learning
White noise can drown out
distracting noises
Music with words can be
distracting, while instrumental
music may aide your concentration
Warm white light color
temperature
Induced least negative
mood (negative
mood impairs learning)
Long-term recall in
and in
Problem solving in
and in

Cool white light color
temperature
Induced least negative
mood
Long-term recall in
and in
Problem solving in
and in


Light
Warm white light color
temperature
Induced least negative
mood (negative
mood impairs learning)
Long-term recall in
and in
Problem solving in
and in

Cool white light color
temperature
Induced least negative
mood
Long-term recall in
and in
Problem solving in
and in


Light
Light
Brightness: Females perform better in bright and
males perform better in dim light
warm & dim light is best for co-ed study
too dim of light will strain eyes, causing fatigue &
headaches
Risk of light deprivation in winter months
brighter spaces may be more effective

Temperature
Warm temp relaxes the body, which may decrease
alertness.
If possible, set temp slightly cooler than comfortable.
If you cant control the climate, dress in layers.
Nature
Indoor plants/trees stress
from eyestrain, shoulder
stiffness, back pain and
mental fatigue
Window view of natural
scenery may help or hinder.
Repetitive task performance
is hindered, while creative
tasks are enhanced.
Exposure to nature increase
attention and positive
mood.
Nature and stress recovery
Natural settings hold
attention more effectively
and foster greater and faster
recovery from stress (phys &
psyc)
When stressed, we need to
lessen stimuli & seek low-
complexity settings, like
nature.
5-7 min. significantly
increases recovery from
stress
Find nature through a
window, taking a drive,
lunching in a park
Study Environment Analysis
Are you currently studying in the location that
is the best environment for you? Why or why
not?
What are 2 SPECIFIC things you can do
differently to improve the amount of time you
spend in the BEST study environment, and/or
your current overall study habits?
Resources and Tips
Know your learning preference handout
Reserving rooms in the library for 2 hours at a time:
Collaborative Work Rooms to reserve a room go to
crs.ucmerced.edu
Avoid distractions: Turn off Wi-Fi, turn off cell phone, put a
sign on your door, remove yourself from distracting
environment.
Dont be afraid to say NO to friends in order to get all your
readings and studying done.
Have study breaks of 10-15 minutes between studying
different subjects.

Resources
Light and noise -
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494401902221#
Light on mood and cognition -
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0272494495900136#
Plants - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027249440290232X#
Stress recovery -
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494405801847
Best seat in class - http://www.testtakingcentral.com/finding-the-best-seat-in-
class.html
Study environment analysis -
http://www.ucc.vt.edu/academic_support_students/study_skills_information/stud
y_environment_analysis/index.html
Study environment factors - http://faculty.bucks.edu/specpop/time-manage.htm
Effective study environments - http://alac.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=9
Dulce Anaya
danaya@ucmerced.edu

Stacie Jenkins
sjenkins2@ucmerced.edu