Some students preferred to do their schoolwork at home, usually for reasons of comfort, familiarity, and the availability of all of the supplies they needed. Many acknowledged the tension between their need for quiet, uninterrupted study time and the sometimes conflicting needs of the family members, friends, or roommates with whom they lived.

It’s my most favorite place to study, it’s the quietest place in the house, my house is very noisy, it’s a lot of noise, and the thing about it is if I can’t study on campus, I would go home and sit in this little corner. Why it’s also very convenient is because it’s a little table that my mom doesn’t use, so I just set it up close to my bookshelf, and that’s where I study.

That’s the TV that does not work, it can only play movies, but everybody knows that while I’m in the living room and I’m studying, they can’t come in and watch TV. Sometimes, a friend might come over and they sit there, but I have trained myself to not be distracted, I’m always within range of what I have to do.

–Brooklyn College student, Fall 2009

That’s my kitchen table. When I’m cooking or sometimes when everybody’s home the kitchen’s usually the quietest place in the house. You know I can’t study in my bedroom for reasons that um…I can’t lay down and study ’cause then I’ll just get tired so I’ll just sit at my kitchen table and study, and sometimes if I’m cooking dinner I can multitask and study and take care of that at the same time.

–Bronx Community College student, Fall 2010

Interviewer: A place at home where you study. What is this place? … It looks like the hallway outside your apartment.

Student: Yeah, this is a hallway. You can see the other different apartments along the hall.

Interviewer: Why this place?

Student: Because it’s a quiet area. Sometimes when kids are running around, “Aaaaargh!” I need to find some quiet, so what I do is that I just sit in the hallway. It’s not uncomfortable; it’s pretty cool. You know, I know everyone on my floor, so, they’re like “Oh, you’re studying again!” But they admire me, you know, for putting so much hard work into my schoolwork.

–Bronx Community College student, Fall 2010

Interview: And do you find that you do most of your work at home or split it up between home and other places?

Student: Um, mostly at home, yeah. I think better at home.

Interviewer: Yeah? How come?

Student: I don’t know. I guess being in my own zone. So yeah, I get more stuff done there.

Interviewer: It looks like a comfortable chair.

Student: [laughs] Yeah.

–City Tech student, Fall 2009

This is where I usually sit and study. That’s my little beanie. It’s very comfortable! [[slight laugh]] […] Yeah, it’s right by the windows, so sometimes… the window’s right there and the window will be open. And this way, the fresh sunlight is coming in through and I have good sunshine and it’s open, like, to the environment. So it’s good. Quiet.

–Borough of Manhattan Community College student, Spring 2011

Interviewer: So, this is your favorite place to study?

Student: 
Yeah. My room with my desk is. Mainly when I’m there is on Sunday. Sunday, Saturday night.

Interviewer: That’s when you do most of your studying?

Student: Yeah…. And it seems like it’s effective so far. My homework gets done, so…

Interviewer: So you prefer studying at home than anywhere else?

Student: Yeah. Well, when nobody is coming downstairs and telling me stuff. [[light laugh]] But…

Interviewer: Do you get interrupted frequently at home?

Student: Not often. Not now. Now that I’m working that job,* they’re… they’re easing up on me.

*This student lived with his parents and siblings and worked early mornings unloading trucks for a shipping company.

–City College student, Fall 2010

Student:
 My favorite place to study. At home. My favorite place to study, my bed.

Okay, “the place you keep your books and school materials” — It’s next to my bed.

Interviewer: 
And do you have a desk as well at home?

Student: 
I don’t have the space for that.

–Hunter College student, Spring 2011

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.