Students are still winding down from spring break and basketball excitement, but before summer begins, there is one obstacle still in the way – midterms along with finals those intense periods of sleepless nights, caffeine overdoses and desperate cramming. And though studying may seem like a monotonous activity, all students have their own style to make the process as painless as possible.

Denise Becnel, reading instructor at the counseling center, said that all study strategies are effective because different people process information in different ways. Some people may hate taking notes while reading, while others need to take notes. Studying is based solely on preference and there is no correct way to study, Becnel said.

Andrew Jatico, sophomore in LAS, said he likes studying in dim-lit rooms.

“I turn off all the lights and just turn on my desk lamp so that the only thing illuminated in my room is my homework,” Jatico said. “It drowns out my bedroom so that there’s less to distract me.”

Nabil Alam, freshman in LAS, prefers the opposite.

“Darkness induces sleep and laziness for me,” Alam said. “When I have bright light, it takes me away from that sleepy feeling and makes me energized and motivated to study.”

Roommates John Ostrowski and Mike Fazelian, sophomores in LAS, have different study preferences.

“I can’t stand silence,” Ostrowski said. “I need music to concentrate and it takes my mind off distractions like random noises … or my roommate talking to himself.”

Fazelian, on the other hand, needs silence to study.

“When I’m studying I’m doing a lot of memorization and when I hear music, the song takes the place of the words that I’m trying to study,” Fazelian said. “I always tell my roommate to wear headphones.”

Comfort is key to effective studying for many students, but Steve Krone, sophomore in LAS, disagrees.

“I need to be uncomfortable or I’ll fall asleep,” Krone said. “I never study on my bed or on a couch … and I don’t usually wear pajamas.”

While Krone says discomfort is best for studying, other students said comfort is key.

“I change clothes just to study,” Jatico said. “I feel very antsy when I’m in jeans or other clothes that I go out in.”

For Chris Nilsen, freshman in LAS, time of day matters.

“It’s a very social environment here so I have trouble concentrating,” Nilsen said. “Not till anyone goes to bed, do I even crack a book, and that’s usually at three in the morning. Three to 6 a.m. is when I’m most in the zone when it comes to studying.”

Roly Gavina, freshman in LAS, said he also tries to avoid social environments.

“I stray away from Late Night (in Forbes Hall) because there’s a lot of commotion, and if I start talking to someone, I’m not going to be doing my homework.”

Jean Mok, sophomore in LAS, also stays away from studying at Late Night.

“I study in my room because the smell of food and people talking distracts me,” Mok said. “I like to study at my desk and since it’s in the corner, I feel isolated and it’s easier for me to get into the zone.”

While some students find the quietness of their rooms sufficient for studying, others opt for the library environment. Jatico said he often studies at Grainger Engineering Library.

“Grainger is nice because it has tall ceilings, lots of space, big windows and lots of computers,” Jatico said. “It’s a clean environment to study in; I get annoyed when it’s dirty or dingy.”

A major problem for students is procrastination.

“Most people avoid their work because they don’t know how to approach it,” Becnel said. “Like writing – it takes time and for many it’s a challenging task. When we look forward to things, we don’t procrastinate.”

Mok said she used to put off her work but changed her habits.

“I didn’t like the pressure I felt the night before the test,” Mok said. “I was very panicked and I hated staying up till four or five in the morning.”

Krone finds procrastination to be effective since he does his most intense studying on the way to his test.

“I feel like I need to be under pressure, so on my way to the test is when I get my best studying done because I know it’s the absolute last minute,” Krone said.