Whether it's at the library, on the outside tables, or nowhere at all, studying and college are inseparable and each student's version is slightly different from the next.
Hoyong Jung, a freshman from South Korea majoring in business management, estimates he studies 4-5 hours in a day, at least 6 days a week. "Usually if I start something, I want to finish it," said Jung. "So I just do it until it's done, but I take breaks if I feel like I need it." His breaks are 10-30 minutes long, depending on the day and circumstances, and it ranges from simply chatting with friends to doing laps at the pool.
For freshman Ashlyn Egbert, biology major from Utah, breaks are scarce and unnecessary in her mind. “I don't like taking breaks because I get distracted,” said Egbert. “I'd rather just get it done in one chunk of time instead of having it hanging over my head.”
In addition to time and frequency of breaks, another aspect that impacts each student’s version of college studying is location. On campus, there are places like the library, Aloha Center, tables, and under trees where students concentrate on their homework. Not all these places are ideal for everyone.
“Whenever I sit at the tables outside, I can never get anything done,” said Egbert. “But it's super pretty outside, and I get sick of the library.”
Jung said, "I usually like to study at the library, but it's kind of noisy.” For some it is not the din of social interaction, madly fast typing on a keyboard, or even the coming and leaving sounds and appearances of students and workers that obstructs their studying.
Rather, it is the atmosphere and intent of the students present that irk people like Hyobin Song, a freshman psychology education major from Korea.“Here at the library, it's basically just a homework factory,” said Song. “Students say they don't like doing [homework] and they say it's no fun, but they do it anyways.”
Although he has only been here for five weeks, Song has received his fair share of assignments and says he already begins to feel skeptical of the whole system, especially regarding homework. “It is good to practice how to deliver your thoughts, but if we do homework all day, when do we think?” said Song. “I want to think, read books, learn what I want to learn.”
Jung too, said the homework load is overwhelming for him. “Nowadays I just do my homework. I don't really feel like I'm studying. I can't study what I want to study because I have homework,” he said. “I want to read other books, but there isn't enough time because of homework. I feel like I'm just in a cage. I have to learn what they want...I need to do what they say.”
“I went to an adviser to ask why there is so much homework,” said Song, “and he said it's not just our school, the law requires a certain amount of homework, based on what's been proven by someone decades ago. But if it's proven in the law by someone on top of education the result should not be everyone not liking homework.”
Egbert sees homework, even in masses, as beneficial for schooling. “I don't mind homework,” she said. “I think it's what helps me most because I have a hard time forcing myself to study so homework helps prepare me for tests.”