More students than ever are studying from home — and not just because of the COVID pandemic. Online education is more convenient for a large portion of students, who find that asynchronous learning allows them to fit education into their existing schedule of responsibilities. Thanks to online education, students can earn advanced degrees, like a Master of Business Administration degree, while maintaining employment and gaining real-world work experience.

Plus, online school reduces student expenses, eliminating the need for transportation or relocation while providing resources like books as digital tools. Yet, there is one aspect of studying from home that many students neglect to consider before enrolling in online education: the effectiveness of their home study space.

Before your online classes begin, you need to have an area of your home where you can feel confident and comfortable learning new skills and concepts. Your home study center should be free of distractions, allowing you to focus entirely on your course materials. This guide should help you create a home study space that works for you, so you can earn your degree with greater ease and success.

Select a Private Space

Few people can focus when surrounded by the sound and movement of a shared space. If possible, you should set up an area dedicated to your online studies in a private room, where you can close the door and cut off access to and from distractions. The easiest way to create a private study space is to shift around the furniture in your bedroom to fit a desk and shelf where you can store your study materials. However, you can also restructure a guest bedroom into an office or clear out space in a shed.

If you do not have any private rooms available to you, you should try to make your study space as secluded as possible. You might claim a corner of a shared space and arrange the furniture away from where you will need to concentrate on your studies. You can also set up screens and curtains to create the feeling of privacy in a common area.

Get Comfortable

Experts recommend studying for at least three times the amount of time you spend in class, which could be as much as 36 hours of studying per week. When you spend such a significant period of time in the same space, you want to be sure that space is comfortable and supports your physical and emotional health. You might invest in an ergonomic chair or couch that allows you to maintain a comfortable position without putting stress on any muscles or joints. You should also decorate your space with calming elements, like neutral colors, natural light and living plants, so you can feel safe and relaxed as you study.

Organize Your Space

Whether or not you believe that a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, you should strive to keep your study space organized. In addition to helping you keep your thoughts in order, organization of your study materials will make it faster and easier to find the information you need exactly when you need it. This will make studying more efficient, so you can learn more information with less time commitment.

How you organize your space will depend on what you are organizing and the space you have available. You might spend some time exploring stores dedicated to organizational tools, as many have solutions you might not have imagined. Then, once your graduate program completes, you can continue to use your organizational tools elsewhere in your home or office.

Reduce Unwanted Noise

The brain has a limited capacity for attention. When you need to focus on your studies, you want to eliminate any elements in your environment that might vie for your brain’s attention and disrupt your ability to absorb information. Noise, in particular, can drain your brain’s resources, so you should try to prevent loud and distracting sounds from permeating your study space. If your study space is in a common area or you have little control over the noises around you, you might invest in a set of noise-canceling headphones or a sound machine that will block distractions. Alternatively, you might play ambient music that aids in concentration to mask surrounding sounds.

You can earn top grades in your online graduate program — if you can create an effective study space at home. Fortunately, by focusing on removing distractions and improving comfort, you can make a study space that brings you great success.