Outdoor studying is a commonly known practice that is especially prevalent at Northwestern. However, do people know just how important and beneficial this practice is?
This story originally aired as part of our WNUR News Touches Grass Special Broadcast.
[nat sound: birds tweeting in the background]
The outdoors…a space for interacting with the environment, fun-filled activities, and a Northwestern student’s favorite… studying. The outdoors have always been known as a
peaceful place to pull out a book. Sitting on a large green patch of grass whether it be in
front of the lakefill or a dorm, the possibilities are endless for one to find an area to
study and touch the grass.
[MILA BRANDSON] I enjoy studying outside, because I think it’s a nice break from the library or just like inside my dorm. Our campus is so pretty… so I really
enjoy studying by the lake. There’s a couple of tables outside of Norris that are really cute. And it’s just a nice way to like, get some fresh air, and then also get
my work done.
That’s Mila Brandson, a current freshman at Northwestern who has found frequent joy in spending her time outside, especially to study and for a change of scenery.
Especially at Northwestern, for students, spending time outside is extremely common considering the beautiful campus we sit on. From the lakefill to the Norris picnic tables, the library isn’t the only option for students to be productive.
Presumably, outdoor studying has been existent since the beginning of the rise of
educational systems. However, one closely related concept to outdoor studying is outdoor education, which recently saw a rise in popularity as it contains many similar benefits to outdoor studying and integrates overlapping principles.
Outdoor education, which is most commonly known as education taking place in
outdoor spaces, was only kickstarted in the 1940s. The history of this well known
practice and phenomenon began when Kurt Hahn, in the education field and Lawrence
Holt, an entrepreneur, began an “Outward Bound program” in Wales. This program served as an outdoor survival program in order to cultivate “physical fitness, enterprise, tenacity and compassion among British youth.” Hahn and Holt wanted to be able to teach students different skills for survival and give them the right resources to put these skills to practice in an outdoor environment. They had a goal to help bolster the students’ knowledge on human interaction and help students gain more positive skills and traits.
This widely known practice is very much related to that of outdoor studying as both can
be attributed to many of the same positive benefits. As both allow students to explore and interact with the environment while also expanding their knowledge and learning new concepts. For example, when studying outdoors or practicing outdoor education,
being outside can allow for a student to better understand a certain lesson by allowing
them to grapple with how the concept might be applied outside of a classroom space or
a certain reading.
Outdoor studying isn’t simply a peaceful practice but it can help students work in a more effective manner. Additionally, both outdoor studying and education overlap as they both allow individuals the chance to “exercise and build a greater sense of environmental awareness” as well as be more productive in completing tasks.
Current freshman Emma Relya, who is still trying to find her favorite study spot, makes a strong case for going outside to do work.
[EMMA RELYEA] “I’d say that I’m actually more productive when I’m outside. Or even just like facing the sun or facing, you know, the people walking by.
Personally, when I study, I like a little bit of white noise. So you know, being able to hear the ocean or hear the cars or hear the leaves rustling or anything like that, to me helps me focus a little bit more than if I were to like blast music in my room or something. There are definitely distractions, especially if it’s so pretty around you it’s so easy to kind of just stare off into space.”
Not only is studying outside going to be a calming experience, but one can also take
inspiration from the things that surround them. For example the time spent outdoor studying can lend itself to giving someone inspiration for an upcoming essay topic.
The opportunities are endless in the outdoors, however not all benefits for students are
centered around education.
Studying outdoors can increase one’s health and therefore, their overall well being in school. When discussing health benefits with outdoor studying, it’s important to note the impact that sun exposure has on students. Sun exposure aids in helping improve and keep consistent sleeping cycles for students, therefore for those who have trouble sleeping or have inconsistent schedules that therefore affect their performance in school, outdoor studying could be a way to help alleviate the situation.
[EMMA RELYEA] “I like to study outside just because it’s a really pretty campus, especially in fall. Oh, the pretty leaves and the pretty scenery is just a really nice backdrop to getting to study. Also, I feel like it helps kind of combat seasonal depression as well. Like getting outside, getting some sun, breathing in some
fresh air is not only like, again, a great backdrop to studying, but it does help fight you know, constantly being indoors.”
RELYEA SAID
Additionally, one’s stress levels can also be altered through the practice of spending time outside doing work or studying as the hormone cortisol can be heavily affected. Regularly cortisol levels remain high in the morning and then around the middle of the
day they decrease, and it has been proven in studies that students who spend time
outdoors experience this decrease, while those who stayed in didn’t experience a shift
in their levels, signaling an increase in the amount of stress they were experiencing.
[EMMA RELYEA] “Now that we’re going into winter, it is a lot harder to study outside. So especially, you know, while we still have fall weather, and then again, in the spring and summer, I would highly, highly recommend studying outside. Like I said, it’s just, it’s a really pretty place to be the library can get super repetitive. And also I find that if I’m near my room, or if I’m in the library, it’s so much easier to kind of just put my head down and you know, not want to focus anymore. ”
RELYEA SAID
For students at Northwestern, the time spent outdoors is invaluable as there are always
stressful times with midterm season constantly approaching and work always piling up.
Therefore, a quick trip outside to the picnic tables or an open patch of grass is always a
beneficial solution and an open space to study.
[MILA BRANDSON] “I would say if you want to enjoy the campus, the beautiful campus that we have more and you want to just get out of like a stuffy library or your room, then you should go outside and study,”
BRANDSON SAID
[natural sound: zen/meditation music]
So next time you are thinking about going to Mudd library or Deering Hall during the day, find a fresh patch of grass and reconsider your studying space. Afterall, you might
end up truly enjoying it.
Reporting for WNUR News, I’m Gabriella Egozi.
