Lately, my days have been a mix of business textbooks, HR strategy papers, and mastering the art of APA formatting. As a grad student working toward a Master’s in Human Resources Management from SNHU, I’ve been diving deep into topics like employee engagement, learning and development, and total rewards strategies. My current course uses Foundations of Business by Pride, Hughes, and Kapoor, and the assignments are no joke — structured, detailed, and grounded in real-world application.
With so much to juggle between work and school, I’ve found that where I study matters just as much as what I’m studying.
Enter: my favorite local café – Busy Bee Café in downtown Rochester, NH.
Something about the steady hum of conversation, the clink of mugs, and the occasional whirr of the espresso machine keeps me grounded and focused. Unlike studying at home, where laundry, dishes, and distractions call out from every corner, the café offers a refreshing change of pace. It’s a space that blends comfort with productivity – a perfect backdrop for diving into SHRM technical competencies or drafting a milestone paper on HR strategic engagement.
But it’s not just personal preference – there’s science behind this, too.
Research shows that our environment directly impacts our cognitive function and focus. A study published in The Journal of Consumer Research states that moderate ambient noise levels — like those found in a bustling café — can enhance creative thinking and abstract processing. This “just right” level of distraction can help your brain work at a higher level compared to complete silence or overwhelming noise (Mehta et. al., 2012). Additionally, working in a public setting creates a sense of “social accountability,” which can help you stay on task longer than you might at home. Even the act of switching locations – known as context-dependent learning – has been shown to improve memory recall and retention.
And while I could technically go to a chain coffee shop, I always gravitate toward the local spot. There’s a stronger sense of community here — familiar faces, friendly baristas who remember your order, and a general vibe that’s just more personable. It feels more like a neighborhood hub than a stop-and-go place. That connection to the space, and the people in it, makes the studying experience feel more intentional and a little more enjoyable.
The café table becomes my portable office. Laptop open to the latest Deloitte insights, a large iced latte (mocha, always) in arm’s reach, and a growing stack of color-coded notes and highlighters beside me — this is where the work gets done.
Studying here reminds me that learning doesn’t have to be confined to a desk or a quiet room. Sometimes, the best ideas come when you change your scenery and sip something strong in a place that feels just a little like home.
References
Mehta, R., Zhu, R. (Juliet), & Cheema, A. (2012). Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition. Journal of Consumer Research, 39(4), 784–799. https://doi.org/10.1086/665048
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