Hi everyone. I just wanted to know where everyone tends to do their work. I'm trying to shake up my monotonous routine of waking up and sitting at my desk at home, so I decided to start going to the library instead. The problem is, I feel quite restricted when I'm there. I can't get up whenever I want and make myself a cuppa, or listen to my tunes. I actually find it quite stressful, the completely silent atmosphere! Also, I feel uncomfortable leaving me stuff to go to the loo. I've heard of people's things being knicked when they've been away from their desks for even a minute. Where do you tend to do your best work?

I struggle with this issue too as I go a bit stir crazy working at home all the time. I have a desk in the dept - in a room of 12 postgrads. It's nice to see a few other faces but my time is so limited anyway that I'm not sure if I can really afford the travel time and chat. I go in 1-3 days/week. I don't often work in the library but I might do later. I have a good set-up at home it's just so isolated.

That all sounds so familiar xeno!!! There were a few robberies in our postgrad area last year

I have to say though that is not the main reason that I don't like working there, it is more to do with the silence - or the little noises that echo through it - like even someone typing or turning a page gets on your nerves after a while because you can hear everything!

So here I am still in my PJs I have been staying here as much as possible the last couple of weeks and while there are still a lot of distractions (namely internet and tv) at least I can have a cuppa whenever I want - and I just feel more relaxed in general

For me--a mix of places. The library when I need to get stuck into something for a couple of hours ( but no more--coz like Xeno said, no drinks and no tunes!). When I WAS home..that is in the US, home was an ideal place to relax, listen to Youtube, do editing and typing, and my local coffee shop the place I took myself when I was really not in the mood, but needed to study anyway--tunes, drinks, food, but able to concentrate and get done without the distractions at home. Now I work at the university nearly exclusively--to greater or lesser effect. Bleak Towers is so bleak that I avoid it as much as I can, and have only studied there once or twice because I was desperate to get something done and tired of the university.

I'm finding this such a difficult negotiation to make. I've been getting quite down recently, and I attribute it to feeling like a prisoner in the house, and have been getting 'cabin fever' from spending too much time here. Then I decide to go to the library to break the spell, and when I get there I want to leave after 1 hour, which actually wastes more time, because by the time I've decided to trek to uni, get there and decide I'm fed up and want to go home, I've wasted a day. I like studying in coffee houses, but then that means spending at least a fiver a day, so it becomes an expensive habit, and I get frustrated spending £2.50 on a cup of coffee when I know I can have it free at home! I'd ideally like to spread my time out in different places, but I can't seem to find a system that works

When I'm at home, I do try to break up the day by taking coffee breaks, or getting out of the house for a walk, but it still feels stifling. The thing is, I can't spend any money, as I don't have it, so I'm resigned to doing 'free stuff', which is great, but limited. What a quandary. I'm sure that alot of PhD students find this quite frustrating.

I work at home mostly because like others I need to be able to get cups of tea at regular intervals. Also I prefer being able to have all my stuff here so I can get books, notes etc whenever I need to refer to them. I find I am not distracted by the TV anymore as it's usually rubbish during the day. I can also do power naps when I need them and then get back to work when refreshed. Plus I can sit here with greasy hair and no make-up and scruffy clothes.
I can only work for probably about an hour and half max in the library then I have to go for a cuppa or do something else, usually not work related.

I think the social isolation is the biggest problem with this PhD. I ahve to make an effort to go into the dept and break the spell even if it means I lose a little time. Being miserable loses time too, after all.

I can totally empathise with you xeno! I'm also having trouble with this. I'm getting frustrated with being at home all the time, but then when I get to uni all I want to do is go home again! I tried to study at the library, but I found I was distracted by the lack of noise (sound strange?) I really need to have my tunes playing away while I'm working, helps me focus and makes me feel like there's life around. I went through a period of spending quite alot of dosh studying in coffee shops. If I had my choice, that's where I'd do most of my work. Anyone have any enlightening solutions?

I was talking to another PhD student yesterday who has the luxury of escaping to a second home. His friend is away all week in London and has given him the key to his house so he can go there whenever he likes (except for weekends). Sounds nice huh?

I can't concentrate at uni, too many distractions. Having said that, there's just as many distractions at home, but they're much better distractions When I was in the library the other day, there were two girls chatting and giggling away. For some reason, I love having music on at home, but hearing people nattering away in the library drives me mad!

I've just realised this morning - I think that being at the house all the time is making me depressed. I woke up this morning feeling completely uninspired and didn't want to get out of bed. I got so fed up that I got dressed and left the house immediately. I really need a solution to this. My house is getting me down! I think it would be different if I was living in a cozy house that was more spacious.

This is a daily problem for me too. Like you Eddi, if I work at home too often I start to get a bit depressed from the isolation. It doesn't help that I spend a lot of the day tidying up after housemates in order to make it the perfect study environment. The days I go into uni to work it initially helps to see others working around me but I nearly always end up coming home earlier than intended and with a feeling that I haven't accomoplished much. I think it's important to change scenery regularly and if you are working from home to like your workspace, make sure it is nice and bright, comfy and geared exclusively towards study.

Happily listening to Bruce Springsteen Internet radio at the university, and making some inspired changes to my conference paper!

I can do most of my work at the library. Maybe it's the study atmosphere and the surrounding that convince you to focus on the work. There's a lot of distractions at my flat especially beers in the fridge.