Finding Your Space...

[rachaelski]

I am visiting the college town where I earned my first master's degree this weekend. At this very moment I am sitting in the coffee shop where I completed the majority of my thesis (as well as my readings and papers for courses). It made me remember how important place is for graduate studies, and what a big step identifying that place is. I tried working at home, at the library, and at other coffee shops. However, no place was quite right. At my coffeeshop I had the perfect balance of focus and socializing. Many friends worked there as well, or at least knew they could find me here. I miss the coffee shop! In my new graduate student life, I get so much more work done at home, so that's my new space....kind of funny how it changes!

Somewhat bittersweet, as I sit here an album that was played a lot during my time here (2004-2006) is now playing--The Buenavista Social Club!

Let's share our stories of finding space and our secret space....mine is Donkey Coffee for anyone at Ohio University....though it's not too secret in Athens!

[coyabean]

Awww. Love this. I'm a bit nutso about the concepts of space and place. I thought it was my age and experience that put this concern so high up my priority list. Maybe its just personality.

Anyway, I just made a huge journal entry about finding and outfitting just the right work space in my new apartment. I am also scouting local spots over the next two weeks of down time. The chairs and writing space have to be just so - I'm short; no dangling feet! - and the energy has to be pitched perfectly.

Other odd things: water, coffee, salty and sweet snacks must be at hand. Basically anything my wayward physical form might demand should be convenient so I don't stop working to satiate the craving.

I am visiting the college town where I earned my first master's degree this weekend. At this very moment I am sitting in the coffee shop where I completed the majority of my thesis (as well as my readings and papers for courses). It made me remember how important place is for graduate studies, and what a big step identifying that place is. I tried working at home, at the library, and at other coffee shops. However, no place was quite right. At my coffeeshop I had the perfect balance of focus and socializing. Many friends worked there as well, or at least knew they could find me here. I miss the coffee shop! In my new graduate student life, I get so much more work done at home, so that's my new space....kind of funny how it changes.

Let's share our stories of finding space and our secret space....mine is Donkey Coffee for anyone at Ohio University....though it's not too secret in Athens!

Edited August 7, 2010 by coyabean

[poco_puffs]

I'm a big believer in space, and it's nice to see that others feel the same way. I work best in very well-lit places, though artificial vs. natural doesn't make a very big difference. Natural light is better for my mood in general, but I can study in laundromats and the coffee shop at my local grocery store equally well, which brings in the component of sound.

I find it very hard to study or write in complete silence, but I can't use music with any English lyrics at all. I know that's why a lot of people study at local coffee shops, but I find the overheard conversations distracting and sometimes the music can be overwhelming-- not to mention the distraction of people I know sitting down and starting up a conversation while I'm trying to use a completely different part of my brain. This one Starbucks was upstairs at a Fred Meyer department/grocery store in the town I just moved from, and there was the perfect level of ambient chatter and music, plus very little danger of anyone I knew stopping by and chatting. The laundromat-- while sometimes uncomfortable-- has that same consistent noise level. Libraries are really one of the worst places for me to study, in my experience. Not because they're too quite, but because they're usually full of loud students playing music on their laptops, having annoying off-topic conversations, and opening noisy cans of soda (!), which I find the worst.

Having my home laptop or the TV is distracting, so I've avoided studying at home in the past because of my small apartment and not having a place to work away from all of that business. This new apartment we just moved into yesterday has a second bedroom, which I am turning into my perfect office space. Good light from the window, plus a bright desk lamp, no TV, music if necessary, and I'm considering getting a white noise machine for next to my desk. We haven't re-assembled the bookshelves since the move, but pretty soon I'll have them all set up with my whole library at my fingertips.

Then, after I set up my perfect study space, I get to wait a month and a half for school to start.

[chickadee21]

I find it very hard to study or write in complete silence, but I can't use music with any English lyrics at all.

I'm the same way - I'll only listen to classical or music in foreign languages. I've never been able to study in coffee houses as a result. I also like to talk aloud to myself when I write, which always made writing in libraries awkward...

[coyabean]

I also like to talk aloud to myself when I write, which always made writing in libraries awkward...

OMG! Me, too! I maintain that everything I write is really just a transcript of the conversation I had with the paper.

Aural learners.

[poco_puffs]

I'm the same way - I'll only listen to classical or music in foreign languages. I've never been able to study in coffee houses as a result. I also like to talk aloud to myself when I write, which always made writing in libraries awkward...

You should come study at the laundromat with me! I don't think talking to oneself is entirely unheard of within those paint-chipped, neon-lit walls.

[Jae B.]

I like soft lighting in a perfectly quiet space for reading, someplace I can stretch my legs out and stay for hours. So I usually read at home, when everyone else is away or similarly occupied. Or I'll read on the bus early in the morning. People don't talk much, there's natural lighting and soft seats. But sometimes the bouncing makes me repeat reading lines more than usual! I've also had a decent time reading in an underground library at my university -- it's usually pretty quiet, has low lighting instead of those annoying florescent lights, and adequate desk and seat space.

Somewhere comfy outdoors, alone in the sunshine, is actually my favorite place to read if weather and time are on my side. It's very relaxing.

Writing is something I am far more flexible about. I can do that anywhere -- under almost any circumstances -- if I'm close enough to my deadline! Florescent lighting, whatever. An old cranky PC even though I'm a longtime Mac person. Doesn't matter. I've tried to find an ideal writing space, set of conditions and tools for some time, but nothing's mattered more than my state of mind. Usually, what I need most, unfortunately, is either crazy passion for my topic or a sense of urgency only procrastination delivers. Still, I most like writing in a coffee shop or library for practical reasons. Or at home when everyone's asleep, so I know they won't call me away from my work for anything.

But a lot of my writing has been finished on buses or at bus stops, while sitting on park benches, busy staircases, planterboxes in blinding midday sunlight, while waiting in lines or for appointments, during lunches in noisy restaurants while attempting to be sociable with friends, on my Blackberry with my thumbs because my laptop battery died, or hovering anywhere near a printer, with me ready to run!

I have plopped down and yanked out my laptop on a barely-lit city street corner at night, in cold winter drizzle, outside a closed café with wifi I could still mooch off of, to finish and submit a paper just before midnight. I was a little nervous about the situation, but I still finished a fine paper on-time!

That said, most music I'm fond of is way too distracting for me when I'm working. If I'm in a café and a song I like comes on, I totally zone out listening to it.

I'm pretty good at ignoring movies and tv shows while I'm writing, though.

Edited August 8, 2010 by Jae B.

[gsams]

Wow. Great topic! I find that my perfect space is secluded, but not completely quiet. I love listening to music. It keeps me going. I also need a pot of coffee on. I need a comfy chair and a great desk with plenty of organization and space. For the past 4 years, I have been in student accomodations. I did a good job of shutting off the tv, turning off facebook, and really learning to work. I (as I tell my students) give myself a break at least once a half an hour to do whatever. Sometimes I do pushups, sometimes I sing to showtunes, sometimes I come on grad cafe. I need a break. Otherwise, I get nothing out of it. This year, I am lucky enough to have a 2 bedroom to myself, so I get an office!

The main thing is to have EVERYTHING I need when I start. If I know I will be needing a lot of reading material I don't own, I don't start work until I am in the stacks at the library. Otherwise, I will just do nothing haha.

[American in Beijing]

I like this topic!! For me, it depends on what kind of work it is. For researching/reading, I can work almost anywhere. The bus, the library, a cafe, my room, someone else's room, or, my favorite place, the kitchen. Give me a good kitchen table with light traffic, and I can do some good work. However, when I write, I prefer places I can associate with writing/productivity. I absolutely love doing work in empty classrooms late at night. Department lounges are also particularly good places for me. The library is pretty good as well, especially if I'm doing work in a computer lounge of some sort.

Like coyabean, I've been trying to create the ultimate workspace in my apartment that will encourage me to finally start being productive at home. I've been doing a lot of browsing online for the perfect (and relatively affordable) desk, bookcase, etc. I would definitely appreciate any advice anyone could offer on creating the perfect study area!

[gsams]

I think a huge part of it is finding a comfy chair.

I had a student chair and desk last year that was rather uncomfortable,so even if I was being really productive, I couldn't sit there for more than an hour without my butt hurting. So, very little actually got done before I had to get up again.

[poco_puffs]

Here's a question: How many of you are buying furniture in stores (where you can try it) or online (where the selection is larger)? Do you buy new or used? Gsams comment about chairs makes me wonder what everyone's priority pieces of furniture are.

I was just at an Ikea recently looking for a dining room table (which I found!), and my mother-in-law spent a great deal of time ushering me through the little sample rooms and apartments in order. I'd say that the organization and consistency of furniture design is impossible in real life, but her house is almost entirely decorated in Ikea, and her office has a little drawer or nook-- all labeled-- for every conceivable scrap of paper. I think some of the Ikea designs seem interesting, like some floating cube shelves for printers and books and knick-knacks, but there just is something about the style of most of their office furniture that I can't get behind.

I used to love the Levenger catalog, with all of their uber-masculine classic leather and wood, but these days I also see that style not being quite right for myself.

As it stands, the office I'm putting together is a hodge-podge of gifted or free furniture. I'll spare the detailed description for now, because I want to hear more about the look of other peoples spaces. Do you have photos up? Flowers? Knick-knacks? Reference material tacked to the wall? Bare table? Clutter-fest? Drawers or shelves or boxes? If another famous person or fictional character was using your current or ideal office space, who would that person be?

[American in Beijing]

Here's a question: How many of you are buying furniture in stores (where you can try it) or online (where the selection is larger)? Do you buy new or used? Gsams comment about chairs makes me wonder what everyone's priority pieces of furniture are.

I was just at an Ikea recently looking for a dining room table (which I found!), and my mother-in-law spent a great deal of time ushering me through the little sample rooms and apartments in order. I'd say that the organization and consistency of furniture design is impossible in real life, but her house is almost entirely decorated in Ikea, and her office has a little drawer or nook-- all labeled-- for every conceivable scrap of paper. I think some of the Ikea designs seem interesting, like some floating cube shelves for printers and books and knick-knacks, but there just is something about the style of most of their office furniture that I can't get behind.

I used to love the Levenger catalog, with all of their uber-masculine classic leather and wood, but these days I also see that style not being quite right for myself.

As it stands, the office I'm putting together is a hodge-podge of gifted or free furniture. I'll spare the detailed description for now, because I want to hear more about the look of other peoples spaces. Do you have photos up? Flowers? Knick-knacks? Reference material tacked to the wall? Bare table? Clutter-fest? Drawers or shelves or boxes? If another famous person or fictional character was using your current or ideal office space, who would that person be?

As I have no car and no pre-existing furniture, I've been buying a lot of my apartment things online. I've finally found a bed and kitchen table/chairs for a reasonable price. Now I'm about to tackle my study space.

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of Ikea's office furniture either. I really like the classic style and would, in an ideal world, buy entirely antiques that I would fix up to create my ideal apartment. But my budget is forcing me to make compromises. I've now gotten it into my head that I need to have a corner desk in order to make my apartment work. I like the fact that they both save space, and restrict your line of vision (which would hopefully increase productivity). I even managed to find an affordable one online (http://www.ivgstores.com/IVG2/Y/ProductID-104302-.htm). My plan was to put two small bookcases on each end that are approximately the same height as my desk to increase the amount of workspace on what would otherwise be a relatively small desk. But now I'm wondering whether it would just be better to get a more normal desk and not have to worry about space issues . . . We shall see.

[coyabean]

Like coyabean, I've been trying to create the ultimate workspace in my apartment that will encourage me to finally start being productive at home. I've been doing a lot of browsing online for the perfect (and relatively affordable) desk, bookcase, etc. I would definitely appreciate any advice anyone could offer on creating the perfect study area!

My friend recently told me that Staples delivers to your door for FREE! And because they are actual delivery guys and not UPS et. al they actually bring it inside. This is rather important for me since I'm single, female and don't know anyone. I also discovered that they do free office furniture consultations and have an online space planning tool. I'm using the former to find just the right height chair. I have decided that dangling feet is now on my list of things for which I am entirely too grown. It joings shoes that hurt and poor insurance. :/

For me it's about prioritizing. Comfort and convenience are key. I decided I could sacrifice on style and buying the kinds of pieces one keeps forever. I simply can't afford alot of things that fall into those categories. But, places like Staples, Amazon and Overstock have good intermediate quality stuff that can be functional. I've tried to cull my memories of every office I've ever worked in for little things I found useful.

Here's a question: How many of you are buying furniture in stores (where you can try it) or online (where the selection is larger)? Do you buy new or used? Gsams comment about chairs makes me wonder what everyone's priority pieces of furniture are.

I was just at an Ikea recently looking for a dining room table (which I found!), and my mother-in-law spent a great deal of time ushering me through the little sample rooms and apartments in order.

I used to love the Levenger catalog, with all of their uber-masculine classic leather and wood, but these days I also see that style not being quite right for myself.

As it stands, the office I'm putting together is a hodge-podge of gifted or free furniture. I'll spare the detailed description for now, because I want to hear more about the look of other peoples spaces. Do you have photos up? Flowers? Knick-knacks? Reference material tacked to the wall? Bare table? Clutter-fest? Drawers or shelves or boxes? If another famous person or fictional character was using your current or ideal office space, who would that person be?

I'd live in a Pottery Barn catalog if I could. Alas, I can't afford it. Like you, I'm kind of cold on most of IKEA's style perspective. A lot of it is far too contemporary and cold for my liking. I'm a comfy, texture-y kind of girl. I like fluff and nubby fabric and soft pillows and real wood.

But I have found some upholstered non-office stuff there that I like. But the office stuff has been horrid. I find that most stuff in my pricepoint is from a small group of manufacturers. So, just going to a local mid-range furniture store to get a feel for certain elements and then shopping for it online is my game plan. I've even seen some stuff that's on mainstream retail sites in stores like Big Lots! Unless you're buying very high quality stuff I think its all coming from the same country with lax labor laws. :/

[poco_puffs]

I'd live in a Pottery Barn catalog if I could. Alas, I can't afford it. Like you, I'm kind of cold on most of IKEA's style perspective. A lot of it is far too contemporary and cold for my liking. I'm a comfy, texture-y kind of girl. I like fluff and nubby fabric and soft pillows and real wood.

You know, I hadn't seen anything of Pottery Barn's for years until you mentioned that and I looked at some of their home office collections on the website. Aris seems like a line that is right up my alley-- classic pieces with a lot of character and room for personal touches. You're right about it being too expensive, although my baseline of frugality means that damn near everything is too expensive. That's why I'm always combing through second hand shops and thrift stores where the staff doesn't know what kinds of treasures they have.

My current desk is the standard kid's room style with the flat drawer over the chair and then three drawers stacked to the side. I used to have big furniture warehouse desks with room for printers and CDs and space for my PC tower and all that type of stuff, but they always took up too much room and they rarely had the drawers that I needed. This little desk showed up across the street from my apartment a few years back, sitting all yellow and scratched with a "free" sign on it. I just picked it up right there, carried it back to my apartment, and it's been my inspiration station ever since.

One of the things I love about it, especially now that I'm getting a laptop, is that it's so dang small and light I can just move it around at will. I keep an old nightstand with the one drawer up top and a shelf on the bottom next to my desk, and that's where I keep the printer, extra paper, and some boxes to organize old papers and bills.

I live for the day that I make enough money to comfortably invest in nice furniture like my parents do, but in the meantime I'm happy scavenging and modifying to fit my needs.

[rachaelski]

I am a big fan of consignment shops for furniture. Craigslist can be good as well. I have the traditional & kitchy vibe going in my house.

[alexan]

I have been accumulating office furniture to put in my little nook area in my apt. I love the chair that I use at work so I asked my soon-to-be-former boss if he could sell it to me and he agreed, so I scooped up a nice, comfortable, leather chair which I'm sure retails for at least $200 for $30 . I picked up a metal filing cabinet, a laser 3-in-1 printer and a few desk knickknacks from Walmart so I now have some semblance of adult working space at home. I'm still not sure if I'll be studying at home, but definitely not at the library, I cant do quiet spaces for sure.

[gsams]

Yeah, I would buy from craigslist if I wasn't terrified of bed bugs. I guess a desk would be one thing, but I would never take anything upholstered from there.

And on the printer front, I can't stand inkjets. Get a good laserjet B&W and you will be good to go. I have one and in the past year I have spent $150.00 on a printer and toner plus paper. That is less than I would have paid for a school printing allotment. My inkjet used to run me at least $200.00 in printer cartridges a year alone.

[Beck]

Yeah, I would buy from craigslist if I wasn't terrified of bed bugs. I guess a desk would be one thing, but I would never take anything upholstered from there.

And on the printer front, I can't stand inkjets. Get a good laserjet B&W and you will be good to go. I have one and in the past year I have spent $150.00 on a printer and toner plus paper. That is less than I would have paid for a school printing allotment. My inkjet used to run me at least $200.00 in printer cartridges a year alone.

+1 to both of these.

I bought my bed new and I'm intending to buy my desk chair new in the next week or so. Everything else can be second-hand.

I had a super-cheap Samsung laser printer that was awesome - so cheap to run.

[Katzenmusik]

Great topic!!

The perfect environment for writing is super-important to me as well. Like others here, I'm into natural light or soft lighting from lamps, real wood, antique-ish thrift store finds, etc. I truly dislike the plain IKEA throw-away furniture that can't survive a move. I also enjoy having a generous wheely chair that I can lean back in. In addition, I've found word processing programs like WriteRoom to be helpful--you can fill the whole screen with your text and block out all distractions.

I was looking forward to creating a little study nook for myself at home. Unfortunately my grad student living space will be a narrow basement room with a terrible carpet and a tiny casement window at yard level. Even if I do find the perfect desk and bookshelf, they likely will not fit down the stairs.

On this theme, would anyone like to share tips for making a crummy space seem like home?

Edited August 12, 2010 by Katzenmusik

[Eigen]

One of the hardest things for me in moving to graduate school was finding a new place to study.

I had two coffee shops around my undergrad institution that were great- one more secluded than the other- and studying at the tables there, with lots of coffee, was where I got like 75% of my thesis written.

Moving to my grad program, I had an office (in itself, a step up), meaning I could come work any time of the day or night where all my stuff was. But working without other people around seemed really weird to me.

Recently, I've been able to bring in more of my furniture and stuff to the office, play music, etc, to make it a better study environment.

Breaking the university policies and bringing in coffee helps (drinks and food in labs aren't really allowed).

[poco_puffs]

On this theme, would anyone like to share tips for making a crummy space seem like home?

I'm a person who really responds to the smell of a place, so the first thing I like to do is start with a base of "clean" smell (getting rid of dust, stinky stuff, must, mildew, anything distracting) and then adding a candle or oil or incense that just makes the place feel lived-in.

Take whatever knick-knacks or personal decorating items that survived the big move and don't keep them boxed up! Unpack them, put them out, keep them visible in your most used spaces and that will go a long way to making the place feel familiar and more like a home that you're used to.

My last suggestion is to take $20-$40, or whatever you can afford, and indulge yourself in some second-hand or discount shopping where you find a cheap set of curtains with a tension rod for the window, some new organizing boxes/racks, pictures for the walls-- preferably things that are useful, so you're getting your money's worth, but at least things that will make the space look less like a room and more like a lived-in home. Something that can be really inexpensive, but still make surfaces seem less barren in a new place, is to invest in some cheap cloth placemats and runner cloths for the top of shelves, tables and desks. They add color and texture, and you can sometimes even find them at places like The Dollar Store/Dollar Tree.

I really can't emphasize this enough if you're on a budget: Don't start at places like Target or a department store unless you're shopping deep clearance and you KNOW what something is worth-- those stores charge an arm and a leg for stuff that is neat, but also not all that special. Start at discount stores, dollar stores, second-hand stores etc, and see what you can buy for the least amount of money first, before moving up to spending $25 on a lamp or a clock at a place like Target or Kohl's.

[Eigen]

It also depends on what kind of space you're working with.

Setting up my lab/office was a lot more difficult than setting up my apartment, mostly because of the restrictions on what I could have, and what went where.

Having a few personal things around can drastically change how something feels.

To me, having my books out was the biggest difference- transferring my shelves of important books to my office really made it start to feel like home. Hanging a bulletin board with schedules, quotes, etc on it also helped.

Replacing the crappy ancient office chair with one from home was a nice improvement as well.

It all depends on what space you have to work with- but making things comfortable and familiar are the first things you should aim for.

Also, if you're on a budget: Check out craigslist and garage sales for cheap, interesting stuff.

Edited August 12, 2010 by Eigen

[StrangeLight]

great topic!

i do a lot of work on my sofa, tv on mute, no music, books and notes spread out on either side of me, laptop on an ottoman in front of me. candles and incense burning on the coffee table, cigarette butts in a wine glass on the side table along with a lamp for light (never use the overhead light, it feels too sterile), a glass of water at the ready, and some ibuprofen. no food nearby, i can't work and snack at the same time. my cat is usually asleep on the sofa, lying on top of some of the books i need. i have a dedicated office space in my bedroom in a nook by the window but all it does is house my printer. i've worked at it maybe once in the last year.

if i'm struggling with an outline or argument, i take some pen and paper into the bathroom. it's small, all white, and full of potted plants and flowers. i'll just sit on the floor and write out some stuff, away from the lure of the internet. if i'm reading a book or draft of a paper and don't need to use my laptop to make notes, i'll read in the bathtub. candles and incense and lots of bubble bath in a claw foot tub so i can try to convince myself i'm not really working at 9 pm on friday. it almost works.

weather permitting i'll also read in the park. but just reading. i wouldn't be able to write there. again no music otherwise it'll distract me. even if it's instrumental i can't help but follow it.

for all-nighters i go to a little greasy spoon diner that's open 24 hrs. all day breakfast, bottomless coffee for $1.75, and it's usually pretty empty other than the morning breakfast hours and friday and saturday at 2 am after the bars let out. it's great for people-watching and i can get a lot done there. no electrical outlets for my laptop, though, so when the battery dies, it's my cue to leave. ritter's diner in pittsburgh, if anyone's interested.

plants, natural light, and scents make a huge difference to how i work. or how i feel in general. sitting cross legged or with my legs straight out is also important. sitting squarely at a desk doesn't really work for me, i feel too hunched over. morning (7 a.m. to 11 a.m.) and evening (7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) are my peak writing hours, reading can happen any time. i am my most useless between 2 and 4 p.m.

[UnlikelyGrad]

Moving to my grad program, I had an office (in itself, a step up), meaning I could come work any time of the day or night where all my stuff was. But working without other people around seemed really weird to me.

You get an office to yourself? Mine is shared, and though I like the camaraderie of having office mates (all of whom are awesome, btw), there are times I just can't work in there...

[psycholinguist]

I like quiet and a lot of light. If I'm working without a computer, libraries are the best bet for me, especially study-rooms with big desks. At home I'm not quite as productive, but I leave my computer there on my desk virtually all the time; not only is it a bit cumbersome to drag around (it's pretty big for a laptop), but I get really disoriented if my peripheral vision sees anything around my computer other than the usual surroundings. * laughs *

Lights I'm really picky about: the lamps need to be those nice floor-lamps that emit light outwards from the entire top, with nice full-spectrum bulbs in them. Furniture-wise, I like lighter shades of wood, and surfaces with lots of space. I'm a total neat-freak, so I also tend to collect paper-trays and magazine-holders and little boxes for paperclips and such.

On this theme, would anyone like to share tips for making a crummy space seem like home?

Are you allowed to paint? Changing the colours can make a big difference, and white is especially good for making a space seem larger and/or cheerier. Lighting makes a considerable difference as well, so it's worth reviewing what you have as is.

Sometimes rearranging the furniture helps, too. I once had a dorm-room that I couldn't stand until I realised that the default layout was horribly inefficient, whereupon I spent forty-five minutes moving the furniture. From then on I loved the room, and ultimately was sorry to have to leave it.