I was surprised to read about interruptions a student is experiencing. I have a difficult time concentrating and can understand frustration with EFY participants.
This situation sounds a lot like my research lab. I find it hard to concentrate when my EFY-like co-workers are loudly carrying on about things like politics, religion, sports or even articles in the Reader’s Forum of The Daily Universe.
Getting sucked into one of these conversations can be a huge time sink.
Unfortunately for my scheming co-workers I have a weapon to combat their distracting conversations.
When I am serious about getting stuff done, I pop in a pair of isolation headphones. These headphones are cheap but very effective at blocking out noise.
If I am doing something mindless, like programming finite element code, I listen to rock music, but if I am doing something that requires more concentration, like deriving equations or writing papers, I listen to a relaxing recording of a thunderstorm that I bought on Amazon for a buck.
It is not uncommon for my co-workers to throw objects at me from across the room because they have been yelling at me and can’t get my attention.
Before I worked in the research lab, I spent over a thousand hours each summer studying in the math, science and engineering buildings (without headphones) and was never interrupted by EFY students.
Because I don’t eat in the Wilk or study in the library, I rarely see EFY participants.
When I do it is like spotting a hawk or finding change under the couch. It is a positive experience and I consider myself lucky.
Kenneth Ross
Los Olivos, Calif.
