Here Comes the Sun

Written by: Ashley George

Spring has sprung, and with the weather slowly becoming nicer as the weeks go on, I decided to try doing homework outside instead of just in my room. According to the American Heart Association, “natural environments can enhance cognitive abilities, like memory and problem solving,” so I figured that going outside would make a nice environment for studying and working on projects.

I typically just work in my bedroom where my desk is, so working outside was a nice change of scenery. The first day that I did this, it worked really well. I felt a lot more relaxed as I was working, and it was refreshing to breathe in the fresh air. However, the next day didn’t have the same effect that the first day did. There were some construction workers that were fixing the road down the street from me, and I had to listen to all of their tools making a lot of noise. I couldn’t focus on my work, so I decided to go back inside and try again the next day.

After that day, working outside was a lot more productive for me. The construction workers left, and I was able to focus better. Even just listening to the sounds of birds chirping in the distance or the breeze through the trees was very relaxing and helpful to hear when I was working on projects and studying for tests.

Overall, I would say that this tactic was successful, but it depends a lot on what the environment is like when you go outside to work. If there was bad weather, traffic, construction workers, or other distractions, doing homework outside would not be such a good idea. However, when it was sunny and warm outside, the environment made working very pleasant and refreshing. It all depends on what’s around you when you work.

My rating out of five stars:

★★☆☆☆