Studying in fast food restaurants... you can concentrate?
By ahgong
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
February 23, 2009 1:52am CST
I have seen this trend of going to the fast food restaurants to study since I was a student more than 10 years ago.
And being curious as to why people prefer to study in a fast food restaurant, I too went to try it out once.
I tell you, it was a horrible experience.
The smells of the food around me. The incessant conversations of the people who are having their meals. Even with the ear phones on, I can still hear the buzzing of the voices in the background.
Not to mention the hard, uncomfortable chairs and the small miserable tables to put the study notes and books on.
It always makes me wonder, how these people can actually concentrate on their school work whilst in the restaurant.
As you can guess, that was the last time I joined anyone who suggested going to a fast food restaurant to study.
I know the fast food restaurant is a fun place to hang out in. For general discussions, I too find them a convenient spot to meet up with. But for studying, now that I am working, I find these students a pain in the butt!
They not only hog the tables all day. They also make a nuisance of themselves playing music on their laptops or mac books.
I can understand that some people cannot study at home. Reasons being, it is too comfortable and conducive for sleep rather than study. So they go outside to do their revision instead. Fair enough. But isn't the library or the school canteen a better place to work in? Heck, even the school library or the school lecture theather or the tutorial room is quieter than the fast food restaurant.
I can never comprehen why people would want to go to a fast food restaurant to do their school revision work.
How about you? Where did you go to when you need a place to study when you were a student? Do you go to a fast food restaurant to do it? Can you explain to me why you chose the fast food restaurant instead of some other more study conducive place?
9 people like this
36 responses
@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
23 Feb 09
hehe ^_^ I was once a student too, and i also tried that once too.. lol =D I often see students studying at fast food resturant and i thought it was kinda fun.. lol =D
So i tried it out once when i was in secondary 2, and we were in macdonalds.. We meant to start but finishing our lunch, but we ended up talking to each other till about 3 before we embarked on our homework and revision.. lol =D But barely half an hr later, we are back to talking and eating again, and wasting the day doign nothing.. lol =D
Since then, i no longer hang out at fast food resturants to study as it's also a waste of money to keep buying food or drinks in order not to be chased out by the staffs there.. lol =D
But there was once i tried to study out when i was in poly, and i did managed to study, but it was also more of a convenience for me because i can smoke as i study.. lol =D It's much more productive for me in that sense, during that time.. hehe ^_^
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
23 Feb 09
Going to those places of course also means it is easy to get distracted from what you supposedly went there to do... but of course in the libraries, you can just choose to fall asleep whether intentionally or otherwise.
3 people like this
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
23 Feb 09
Hi ah gong,
I beg to differ.
I used to like studying at noisy places. Fast food restaurants are a good choice of location but unfortunately, most of the restaurants and outlets discriminate against students (understandably in a way) and do not allow them to study there - not even if there are no customers! It might shock some but public libraries chase away students too! If you put out a textbook, out you go! You can only read their library books there.
Anyway I find the silence at most libraries oppressive. How can people concentrate that way? Those noisy places are nice. The cacophony of noise merges into a different kind of quiet that is actually very conducive to studying.
But of course, we are all different and need different environment for concentration.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
23 Feb 09
My student days were donkey years ago when fast food franchise was not born yet in my place. I think that place is the last place any student should be in to do their studies. I don't understand why they choose to be there in the first place and what image do they really want to project studying in the most crowded and noisiest place on earth. I think the teenagers nowadays are not too serious and are happy with the atmosphere surrounded by the fine decor of the place and at the same time to have an eyewash on the high traffic that comes in and out of the restaurants. During my college days I spend my time studying in the comfort of the college library. I think libraries are the most conducive place to study.
@leen_zhihai (63)
• Malaysia
24 Feb 09
I've got a friend who loves to do it. I also tried once and just like you, I don't understand how these people do it. I can't concentrate at all. I can only eat and drink and look around watching people. I rather go somewhere else like library, or even my hostel is much better than fast foos restaurant.
1 person likes this
@ionsquare (530)
• Singapore
24 Feb 09
I have never study in a fast food restaurant before. I think its too noisy for me to concentrate on my studies. However, it may be a good place to meet up with your study group as its a place good for discussions. Discussions are not permitted in quiet place like a library. Ya, there are a lot of students who like the idea of studying in the fast food restaurant.
@victorywp (3524)
• United States
23 Feb 09
i don't think i can concentrate studying in fast food restaurants. when i was a student, i usually study in a library or in my room or in my friend's house. i never do that in a fast food restaurant although i have seen this trend during my time.
i think choosing a fast food restaurant to study is just an excuse to hang out with friends & doing all other things like playing music, chit-chatting, looking around for the opposite s*x, etc... the only difference maybe is that you are doing all that with your books open? LOL!
but no doubt there are people really feel more comfortable & effective studying in fast food restaurants instead of other places...
2 people like this
@barrymystery (57)
• China
24 Feb 09
I agree. This may vary from person to person. Someone may take the noisy fast food restaurant as the most optimal locations to study whereas someone may take it oppositely. As long as you want to study, actually the locations can not distract you from outer attractions at all. You can still concentrate yourself on your studies.
@Qaeyious (2357)
• United States
23 Feb 09
They probably are the same type who have to have music playing while they study. I can never understand that either, because listening to music I like to do, but if I need to study I cannot do it with music. Or with loud voices.
I finally got one of those headsets that have a noise reduction system on it. It works by making even more noise, but the noise it generates is the exact opposite of what is entering the ear. While it does not result in total silence, it is like turning the volume down a bit, and it has helped me especially with reading on the light rail and other public transportation.
I hardly go into fast food restaurants anymore, just regular restaurants. I will do whatever reading before and after the food comes, not while eating. Just like listening to music, I like to enjoy my meal with no distractions. Fortunately I can tolerate music while eating, except when it is loud or karaoke.
@dorisday1971 (5657)
• Philippines
23 Feb 09
when I was still studying and working at the same time, I studied my lessons everywhere. I studied at fastfood chains while I was taking my meal. it was pretty hardwork for me and it paid. I became so used in studying at a very noisy environment.
@mammamuh (582)
• Sweden
23 Feb 09
No fast food restaurants - but I used to study at a coffee shop. I really liked being there with the smell of coffee and the older med talking abut politics and other things around them. I miss it now when I'm not studying anymore. I miss both the men that had so many great things to say and the atmosphere in the coffee shop.
I hate to be at the library since I like to drink coffee or tea when studying and I can't stand the silence!
@jaymeeliz (505)
• Philippines
23 Feb 09
When I was about 12, I used to live in a restaurant where there would be people (mostly drunk) who would sing in the karaoke every night. I got used to the noise and was able to concentrate on my studies. That was back then. Now it seems like I couldn't concentrate too much if there is noise and I need to be in a private place when I am studying.
1 person likes this
@hotsummer (13835)
• Philippines
23 Feb 09
i have not tried it. usually i just eat inside a restaurant and have some chit chat with friends. and i have tried reading newspapers inside it but i was not able to concentrate cause i feel conscious of people looking at me when i am trying to read. i don't know what they are thinking when they see me holding a newspaper with my eyes fixed on the paper. like i feel that they may thought i am trying to act some kind of studious person. so mostly i just try to read or go through the pages and just try to see the content but will just read it later when i get home. so i don't think that i will be able to concentrate stydying inside a restaurant. but for fine dining where the people are more quite i might. so i guess it will depend on the place.
1 person likes this
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
26 Feb 09
hi ahgong...i haven't experience studying in a restaurant during my school days..and i do noticed same fast food chains...students were there for the purpose of studying after they had eaten their breakfast or whatever..if im going to base on my experienced and likes i don't think i can concentrate inside a fast food chain studying i prefer inside the room or even in the library...that is on my own opinion..but i guess some people can concentrate studying...
@dolce_vita78 (8062)
• Philippines
20 Dec 09
Hi there ahgong!
On a daily basis, I do see a lot of students who spend much time in the canteen or in fast food restaurants. Surprisingly, they open their books and notebooks there. Yes, that is where they review. I do not know how exactly can they review in such noisy places. When I was in college, I would go to a park near our house and that is where I would review. Or, there is this tourist spot near our house where people can spend the rest of the day under pine trees and it's really very serene. I would go there and that is where I spend my free time studying my lessons. I really can't study in places like the fast food or the canteen. There's just too much noise.
@lyzabelle (1668)
• Philippines
5 Feb 10
Just like you I was also wondering why people can go to restaurants
and study there. In the first place restaurant or fast food is for eating
not for studying. To add it up it's also very noisy or too crowded for me
to study. I just don't understand why students go there just to study.
@maygodblessu44 (7336)
• India
27 Feb 09
Hello my dear ahgong Ji,
There were no such fast food resturants in those days, when I was a school/college
girl. But we used to find some corner, where even tehre won't be bees to make humming
noise to disturb my studies. but now, everything has turned other ways and present generation finds
to do all work under noisy atmosphere. May god bless you and have graet time.
@slimshadysujith (57)
• India
23 Feb 09
i usually prefer studyin alone at my place.. i dont even lyk studyin in groups of 3 or 4.. i am not able to concentrate with loadz of ppl around me.. so i prefer studyin alone.. and some of my frnz go to restaurants wid their girl friends so dat dey can spend sum time together and even study a bit..
1 person likes this
