Now that our college students have returned and settled into their routines, we’d like to suggest two items that might help them enhance their learning, draft their term papers, or prepare for exams:
Houseplants and coffee shops.
It’s true. There are multiple studies indicating that having houseplants in your dorm room or studying in a place with lots of plants can help with retention and creativity.
One reason is aesthetics. Dorm rooms can often feel bland and adding plants provides a visual focal point and a pop of color that makes your living (and studying) space warmer and more comfortable. Plants also have been shown to reduce stress and symptoms of depression and fatigue. Connecting with nature (whether walking in the woods or nurturing a houseplant) can improve your mood and thus enhance your productivity.
Research from the University of Michigan showed that studying in the presence of plants increases concentration and memory, while another study done at Texas A&M University indicated that working in plant-filled spaces led to higher-quality work, including increased accuracy.
If you need to get out of the dorm or your apartment for a change of pace, a coffee shop might be the perfect place to study. We have one right in the heart of our nursery – Dottie’s Garden Coffee Shoppe.
Besides being a beautiful spot, there’s the added benefit of delicious caffeine!
But there’s another reason – other than the coffee kick – that might help students. It’s literally called the “coffee shop effect,” a term coined by neuropsychology researcher Onno van der Groen, a lecturer at Edith Cowen University in Australia.
Van der Groen’s research indicates that the low hum of background noise in a place like a coffee shop stimulates sensory signals in the brain that make you more focused. They can even free your mind from a mental rut so you can see things from a new perspective.
If you come visit us, you’ll get to enjoy our new furnishings, both inside and out on our patio (check out the pictures in the sidebar!) And did we mention we have a lot of plants here, too? Double the brain boost!
So bring your laptop, your books, and your notes to Dottie’s, where the ambience won’t just make you feel better – it may make you a better student too.
Happy Gardening,
Misti