kickin' new flavor in ya ear

    St. Bonaventure, N.Y. (Feb. 11) – College students have made it clear that the people and places they surround themselves with distract them greatly. 

  Alexandra Notaro, a sophomore journalism/mass communication major walks into the Friedsman Memorial Library with the purpose to study. Notaro walks up the stairs onto the top floor, also known as the “quiet floor” and opts for a cubicle on the far right.  

   Notaro says, “Whenever I go to the library I can never bring my laptop because I will instantly go on facebook and do any possible thing besides my homework”.       

    Many people said it’s as possible to work in their room as it is for St. Bonaventure University to construct underground tunnels so students never need to face the cold again. 

   Shannon Shepherd, a junior journalism/mass communication major said that during the winter months she never wants to leave her room to study “the cold puts me in a bad mood.”   

  Students said distractions such as their friends talking to them or the Internet can be the main reason it takes two hours to write a paper.          

  Erica Mungall, a junior environmental science major, said, “I do get distracted easily, especially by “people watching”. If I’m studying with a group of classmates, I have to sit with my back to the rest of the room in order to prevent me from people watching.”   

  Mungall said, “It is important to find a place or room where everything is clutter free and quiet. So a cubicle all the way in the back of the top floor of the library is the place for me.”  

  Shepherd also agreed with Mungall, “I get distracted by any outside noise. I lose all train of thought! I have to be somewhere quiet to be productive.”    

  Emilee Lindner, a junior journalism/mass communication major, said since she now lives in the townhouses, she has her own room. Unlike last year, when she shared a room and never could concentrate on her homework, now her roommates go to sleep at 10 p.m. and no one’s around to distract her.      

  Madelyn Perez, a journalism major at Syracuse University, said she feels most comfortable studying in her room.  

  “The library is too far from my dorm, so especially in the winter I just feel as though it is easier to just study in my room. I just need someone to hide my computer from me”, said Perez.   

  Since the St. Bonaventure University has approximately 2,000 undergraduates, students can get to a study spot such as the downstairs of the library in the education section. 

   Perez said,” Living on a big campus everything becomes a blur, and people get lost. It’s definitely not a calm setting to work in.”   

  Colleen Hawkins, an education major, agreed with Notaro that the quiet floor at the library is the best place to study.   

  Notaro said, “Quietness and no distractions and no Facebook which is a huge distraction while I’m studying.”Perez’s ideal study setting was a bit different. “One that is not totally quiet, no Internet, can’t put me to sleep and good lighting.”  

  Students said the hard part’s finding out what’s most comfortable for you and there are people who enjoy a quiet setting while studying.    

  Then there are others who would much rather prefer people around them talking, and listening to music since the silence distracts them. 

   Mungall said, “I can study with others for tests and such, but only if they are students from my class because then we can hold discussions.”   

  Students agreed that positives and negatives occur in every situation, but it is up to you to figure out how you are most effective and comfortable in your own environment.