Finding Quiet in Unsuspected Places
by Samantha Stevens
The most important aspect to being successful in college is the ability to keep up with the loads of schoolwork. Everyone knows this, and at some point, most people go through the experience of falling behind. The quality of our work starts to decrease as we neglect the effort we’re putting in, and it’s hard to get back up to speed. The switch from high school to college is tough because of the sudden amount of responsibility students are given. There’s a lot less outside help if we start to fall behind, making that transition even harder. The key to using your time to the best advantage to keep up with your classes and put in quality work is finding a space where you can work efficiently.
At the start of my first semester of college, I had a plan to spend a dedicated amount of time working on homework every week, so I didn’t end up falling behind in my classes. Not far into the semester I realized that I didn’t have a space where I could do this. Most days I ended up going straight home after class, working on assignments, and studying from the comfort of my own kitchen table. That I was in my home setting made it hard to focus. Home is for relaxing, not working, so it was hard to find motivation in this space. I had so many distractions, especially from my sister who would sit on speakerphone as she loudly talked with her friends. After 20 minutes of this and getting nothing done, I decided I needed to do some research on places I could go to work efficiently.
Throughout the beginning of the semester, I had seen a lot of my peers going to Starbucks and working at the tables there. Unfortunately, I could never find any open spots to sit. It’s also slightly out of the way from my house, and there are lots of distractions with all the people coming and going. I ended up complaining to my friend about having nowhere to work. She is also a student at Lake Superior College, and she recommended studying in “Hawk’s Landing.” I realized I had completely overlooked a huge source of workspaces open to me, and I was a bit surprised with myself. Why didn’t I think of going to work at the place I’m going to school at? I had the chance to find Hawk’s Landing when completing a scavenger hunt in Composition 1 shortly after talking to my friend. It’s a large space full of several types of chairs and tables, specifically designated as an area for students to gather and work. I would suggest bringing some sort of headphones if you decide to visit when there’s heavy traffic. It generally stays quiet, especially if you go earlier in the morning. It’s one of the many workspaces around campus, and I have found a lot more after realizing what Lake Superior College had to offer.
One of the spaces I have found, the Student Lounge, is a slightly louder and smaller area. I wouldn’t suggest this for someone who needs quiet, but it does have its resources. There’s a computer help desk, which is helpful for people who might not have access to a device, as well as a pool table in the middle, and is connected to the food shelf and the Intercultural Center (which both usually have a bit of traffic). For someone who needs outside advice/help, I would recommend going to the TLC. There is always someone on hand to assist students. These spaces are open to everyone from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm Monday through Saturday. There are many areas on campus for students to use; all you need to do is look.
Not only have I found these specific designated workspaces at LSC, but my eyes were opened to every individual workspace across campus. On every floor, around every corner, there are chairs and tables for students to use. As soon as you walk inside the main entrance there are tables and chairs lined up along the wall to the right. If you walk a little further, there are comfy chairs surrounding a small table to the left. Right up the main stairs into the C building (coming off the Ice Hawk Café), there is a row of individual seating couches with connecting trays. These chairs and tables are littered across campus for students to have a place to work and gather on their own.
I have utilized many of these spaces since finding out about them, especially Hawk’s Landing and some of the random chairs scattered around. Having the opportunity to go somewhere on campus to work on assignments and such whenever I need is extremely helpful. Some days I will go before or after class to work on assignments and study, using my time more efficiently than I would at home. I think this will become even more useful next semester and next year as I start to take on more classes, most of which will be completely online. I hope that anyone looking for a safe place to go, even if it’s for something other than studying or doing homework, can find that on the campus of Lake Superior College.
