Name of Person Interviewed: Fayaz Sofi - Civil Engineering Graduate Student at UNL
Location Visited: Avery Hall Basement
Observations/Quotes:
As a graduate student, Fayaz has found that his study habits have changed quite a bit from undergraduate school because now his studies primarily focus on research. His habits also differ from that of an undergraduate student because he has his own office that can be used for quiet studying and research. He uses this office to study for long (5+) hours at a time, and primarily takes breaks such as Fall and Spring Break to work on research as well because it is such a long intensive program.
Interpretations:
We met Fayaz in the Avery Hall basement as he was studying and waiting for a class to begin. We were amazed to realize that as a graduate student Fayaz had a much different take on studying than most undergraduate students because his studies are mostly research based. This is significant because it shows us that as students go throughout their schooling they often have to adjust their studying habits and/or schedules in order to accommodate the demands of the courses they are taking.
Name of Person Interviewed: Brett - Computer science junior at UNL
Location Visited: Avery 12
Observation and quotes:
Brett works 8 hours per week in the the Computer Science Resource Center. He enjoys studying in his room because he lives in Niehart and it is a familiar, quiet place and it helps him focus. When he studies, he prefers no noises. He tends to split up his studying in large chunks, and unfortunately does quite a bit of cramming. Talking to him, he seem very calm and comfortable, he is well dressed, and his good posture makes me think he has a high degree of confidence in himself.
Interpretations:
We met Brett in Avery 12 as he was working the desk in the Computer Science Resource Center. We were amazed to realize that some people still prefer quiet over everything else, and that groups can be beneficial to studying . This is significant because many people say that they listen to music as they study, and studying is often perceived as being alone in a room.
Name of Person Interviewed: Danielle- First year student at UNL
Location Visited: Neihardt Residence Hall
Observations/Quotes:
Danielle tries to stray away from cramming for tests, but ends up doing so in some of her more challenging classes such as Calculus or Psychology. She studies one subject at a time and does so either in the Neihardt study rooms or in Alpha Phi because they provide her with a comfortable, quiet, and familiar place where she can stay focused.
Interpretations:
We met Danielle in the Neihardt Residence Hall hallway as she was walking back from class to go study. We were amazed to realize that despite her aim to stop cramming for tests, it is hard for her to avoid with her busy schedule and hard level classes. This is significant because it can tell us how students study habits may often times directly be affected by their schedules and involvement outside of class.
Name of Person Interviewed: Sarah - Psychology senior at UNL
Location Visited: Niehart Front Desk
Observation and quotes:
Sarah works the front desk at Niehart, but lives off-campus. She prefers to study in a coffee shop because the white noise helps her focus, but will also go to Love Library. When studying for Japanese, she prefers to study as she goes, maybe an hour a night. For everything else, there is a lot of cramming that goes on. She likes to listen to music while she studies, but not lyrics. Distractions are the biggest hinderance to her, so she prefers not to study while working because people are always asking for help. One day she hopes to travel to Japan, perhaps on an education abroad trip or through the JET (Japanese Exchange and Teaching) Program, teaching English to Japanese students. While talking to her, I get the sense that she is a very unique individual. She seems focused on her Japanese studies and devotes most of her time to that. She is very confident of who she is, and was really unafraid to share her story.
Interpretations:
We met Sarah as she was working the front desk of the Niehart Residence Hall. We were amazed to realize that sometimes, on-campus locations aren’t the best place to study for people, and that more general, “white noise” can actually be beneficial when studying. This is significant because it directly changes a common stereotype about studying:that you should find a quiet secluded place to do your work.
Name of Person Interviewed: Joel - First year Civil Engineering Major at UNL
Location Visited: Selleck Lobby
Observations/Quotes:
Joel can study anywhere because it's easy for him to focus on a book even when there are people around. He follows a schedule while he studies , and makes sure to give himself fifteen minute breaks every two hours. He especially enjoys when he can study in groups, even if nobody in the group is able to help him, because then during his fifteen minute breaks he is able to play foosball or talk with group members. He makes sure and approach studying with this strategy because it helps him stay motivated, especially since he has never done this much studying before entering college.
Interpretations:
We met Joel in the Selleck lounge as he was studying in between classes. We were amazed to realize that despite the somewhat busy environment around him he was still able to focus on his studies. We were also intrigued to find out that taking scheduled breaks helps him stay more focused during designated study times. This is significant because it shows the need for students to take time to schedule their priorities in order to be successful, as well as gives us insight on how studying in an area you enjoy may give you more positive vibes on studying.
