The temperature is reaching the low 50’s, the yellow leaves are falling and the parking lots at Cal State Bakersfield are filled by noon, meaning one thing: the fall semester is drawing near to an end.
The Walter Stiern Library is seeing the most amount of traffic that it will see during the semester, with every study room and almost every single table being occupied.
The loud chatter of study groups reviewing weeks’ worth of material fills the second floor of the library, while quieter and independent students fill the third and fourth floors.
As CSUB students enter the most demanding week of the semester, finals week, several students are offering their study tips and revealing their favorite places on campus to focus.
“Put dancing fruit videos, [the ones] that are used for babies, in the corner [of your screen], that way you still have some slight stimulation as you’re studying. That way it doesn’t get too boring for you,” said Alistair Luis, human biology major.
Luis’ strategy, although it may be irregular, seems to mirror a common theme amongst many university students, which includes having some form of outside stimulation while studying.
Fernando Barboza, a finance major, said that he likes to “put on two headphones, listen to my favorite music and also have some five-minute breaks.”
Barboza, just like Luis, relies on music, an outside form of entertainment to keep him studying for prolonged periods of time.
For many students, having something enjoyable playing in the background—such as a favorite song or a familiar TV series–makes studying feel less daunting and more manageable.
According to a 2024 study in the Journal of Technology and Science Education by José Quiles-Rodríguez and Ramon Palau, “light background stimulation can reduce stress, improve focus, and create a more comfortable learning environment for students, leading to better results on papers and prolonged study sessions.”
Although finals week has just begun, one student already feels like they are falling behind and warns others against doing the same.
“I don’t think I’m exactly the person to ask [for study tips], …I’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this test but I didn’t, so don’t be like me, be prepared at least a day earlier instead of all within the same day,” said Madison Darwish, English major.
Whether it is starting to study earlier or not procrastinating, finding a safe and quiet space to study is absolutely essential for all students to succeed.
The library provides students with a quiet space to study which they might not have at home. Luis enjoys studying at the booths on the second floor of the library due to their comfort and ambience, which is often filled with noise as students collaborate. Whereas Barboza enjoys studying specifically on the third floor, which is a whisper floor and features a setup of couches. Darwish enjoys studying at an individual desk, but only if it has a working light.
However, one student has a different, less known study spot on campus.
“The math tutoring center in Science Building Number Three. It’s actually a really good spot, they help you out a lot,” said Mayolo Oliveros, a mathematics major.
Whereas some students may enjoy studying alone or in a group, others, like Oliveros, enjoy having tutors that are able to assist him with any questions that he may have.
Whether it is studying in the library on any of the four floors or at the math tutoring center, or if students choose to study with headphones and music or even videos of dancing fruit, one thing remains certain. Studying looks different for everyone, but the most important thing is for every student to find what works best for them.
