SCOTT GULLEDGE / Scroll

Cracking the books all over campus

A change in environment changes students’ study habits

Tina Dean DEA05004@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

The learning process is often unique to each individual student. Some find the coziness of their own rooms to be the best atmosphere for study, while others prefer an empty classroom or a study booth in the library.

For Kevin Brown, a junior from Des Moines, Wash., studying must be done in a large, open, well-lit area with little noise, but not silence. The second floor of the Manwaring Center beneath a hanging flag is Brown’s favorite place to learn.

“I like it because it is well-lit, and there is a little bit of background noise,” Brown said. “I can hear people walking by and music from downstairs or from a nearby piano, but the noise is not immediately around me.”

Tom Croasmun, Academic Learning faculty has been working with students at BYU-Idaho for around 16 years. He teaches students valuable learning skills and helps them achieve their academic goals by applying the principles to college courses.

Croasmun said students’ environments play a big role in helping them to learn, though there is not one environment that is best for everybody.

For many students, Croasmun said studying at home is not very effective because there are so many different factors that keep students from studying.

Nate Meyer, a senior from Mulvane, Kan., agreed.

“When you are at your apartment, you have to divide your attention between roommates, cereal, girls and the TV,” Meyer said. “It’s too distracting. ... I learned from a study skills class not to multitask. Good concentration will make your study time more productive.”

Meyer likes the Spencer W. Kimball Student and Administrative Services Building because of the beautiful architecture and the peaceful and aesthetically pleasing environment.

Croasmun said students who find a nice, quiet classroom are setting themselves up for success because when you are in a classroom, you subliminally recognize that you are there to learn.

For anyone wanting to learn how to maximize their study time, the Study Skills Center in the David O. McKay Library offers seven different tutorials to help students develop study skills. Croasmun said there are programs available to identify what type of learner a student is. This personalizes the programs and helps students study smarter, not longer.

Croasmun said students who apply the principles they learn in the tutorials will find effective results. One student found himself on academic probation after his first semester. He took two different tutorials, applied the principles he learned and raised his GPA to a 3.0. Another student who read at a ninth- grade level took four tutorials during the summer and increased her reading ability to a 12th-grade level.

Even if a student isn’t interested in taking a tutorial, the Study Skills Center also offers a good study atmosphere.

“Some students like to study here because we keep it very quiet and there is soft music playing,” Croasmun said.

For Brown, studying in places that have big windows with nice views helps him to think deeply.

“There is nothing worse than studying something difficult for a long time and then looking up to find a white, blank wall,” Brown said. “Get away from your usual boring life. Get away from your same desk, same corner and same problems. … For students that are having trouble with self-discipline or with studying, if they will do this one thing and change their environment, it can change their lives.”