A tidy student room for improved productivity
Tamara Price, Lettings Manager, highlights a few reasons why a tidy private room in your student accommodation can help your productivity levels soar...
Let's be honest, the life of a student can be pretty hectic - there's studies and extracurricular activities to keep on top of, social events you want to get involved with, traveling back and forth to visit family if you're studying in another city as well as finding the time to recharge your batteries so that you can keep that student life ticking over. This all means that you need to ensure you're as productive as possible, as often as possible. But can a tidy room make a big difference to your productivity levels?
Finding the right student accommodation
One of the main reasons that many students get together and rent a large property with several rooms is so that everyone can have their own dedicated bedroom with their own private space. For most, this is the perfect way to be at their most productive when working on university assignments and dissertations as it means they don't have to spend hours and hours in a library to find some peace and quiet. Instead, they can retreat to their own private space, shut the door and keep the rest of the world out while concentrating of those all-important studies. A large student property with several tenants will have communal areas such as the kitchen or living room where you can socialise afterwards while taking a break from studying - all perfect!
However, simply putting yourself into that environment doesn't instantly guarantee you're going to make the most of it, so how can you make sure that your room is set up to bring the best work out of you?
Keep your room mess-free
There aren't many people who best operate in a messy space, and the majority of us surely appreciate the number of benefits being tidy and organised can bring?
Mess-free, stress-free
A study by the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin discovered that those who described their room as cluttered or full of unfinished projects were more prone to stress and fatigue than those who worked in a space that was restful and restorative. There are so many simple fixes that can be made to easily keep a space free from clutter, such as using letter trays to file all paperwork and folders neatly and in order, or a dedicated pot or drawer to store stationary. You may be surprised at just how much of a positive influence a tidy space can have on your studies.
Get your eating habits in check
If you're spending hours upon hours working away in your room then it's all to easy to forget about any sensible eating patterns. A messy space is likely to have you picking up chocolate bars and energy drinks or snacking on things that don't quite give you the nutritional values you need at the right times. If you're lucky enough to live with other clean and tidy students then you always have the communal kitchen to cook and eat your meals in, and that would be the most ideal scenario – studying in your room, eating in the kitchen. But that unfortunately isn't always the case. So, if you often eat in your room or prefer to do so from time-to-time, then keep the room clean! It'll hopefully encourage you to eat healthier and to a better schedule.
Minimal distractions
Keeping your private room tidy is going to mean there are fewer distractions getting in the way, allowing you to put all of your focus on the project at hand. For example, leaving magazines and books laying around on the desk or at the end of the bed is going to tempt you into taking a few too many breaks from studying. You only want to keep things that are relevant to your work on the desk so that you know exactly where your focus needs to be. A mobile phone is also a constant distraction - keep it out of reach during work times so that you're not constantly reaching for it.
Create the ample study environment
Subtle differences can go a long way to making a room much more productive. Once your space is clean and clutter-free, make sure you're letting in plenty of natural sunlight. The first thing you can do is make sure you're opening the blinds or curtains as soon as you wake up so that you allow the sunlight to flood into the room all day while you're studying away.
According to a report from the Natural light both improves productivity and will help make you feel more positive and happier, and if it's a nice enough day go ahead and open the windows to let some fresh air into the room as well.
Kitting your room out with items that can motivate you should help you remain both tidy and organised, such as a large wall planner or simply using stationary that you love. These little things can do a lot to reduce stress levels and have you doing the important things that you need to do, all to the best of your ability.
If you're a student in Cardiff looking for the perfect student accommodation, then don't hesitate to contact our expert team here at CPS Homes. We know exactly what it takes as we're proud to find suitable properties for thousands of students every single year. Contact us today by calling 02920 668585, e-mailing enquiries@cpshomes.co.uk or by popping into one of our three Cardiff branches.
