The COVID-19 pandemic has brought an incredible amount of change to college students, particularly those who studied from home this year. For the 2021 SoCal Writing Center Association Virtual Conference, the Concordia University Irvine Writing Studio compiled a photo essay of students’ at-home writing spaces with the intent to help improve on-campus writing centers when it is safe to reopen. Students across years and disciplines submitted photos of their spaces and answered survey questions about how the pandemic has affected their writing habits and what they would change about their at-home workspaces if they could.

Each submitted photo is fundamentally the same—a laptop on a desk. Yet, each is also distinct in how the student chooses to dress up their space, silently speaking to their personality and working habits. An exhaustive list could be created detailing the similarities and differences of the data, but four main commonalities emerged:

Avoiding distractions. Several students noted that their at-home writing space makes it difficult to avoid distraction because it is located in a communal area of their home, such as a dining room or patio. Many students’ least favorite part about their space is this lack of privacy. One student wrote, “I wish I didn’t have to have my desk in the living room. I wish I had a room specifically for an office space to sit down with just my thoughts.” Similarly, another student mentioned, “My least favorite part is that the TV is also in the room. I have to choose another space to write in if someone wants to watch something.” More than just a lack of focus, students noted that this constant distraction has changed the way they write, one explaining, “I have to write earlier in the morning when everyone is either not home or asleep because it is the only time I can focus.” Another stated that they “…write more in short bursts, rather than long hours like before because [they] naturally get interrupted often or distracted in [their] at-home space.” Frustration about a lack of privacy and the effects of distraction on productivity were ultimately the most common themes in the responses.

Art and photography.  Of all the elements of a workspace, art and photography are by far the most personal and sentimental to students and were found in nearly every space. Students love how photographs and art make their space more inspiring, one stating directly, “The art on my walls gives me inspiration for writing!” Another elaborated on this concept further, explaining, “I love to look up at the impressionist paintings above me. They’re only posters, but it’s nice to see them amidst all the busyness of the day.” Where the presence of pictures and art inspires students, the lack of it has an effect as well. One student’s least favorite part about their space “…is that it is very blank. I stare at a white wall with a single highlighted note card with my class schedule,” even adding, “I really should add some posters or drawings to liven up the vibe.” Though art and photographs serve no functional purpose, students seem most content in their space when it is visually appealing

Inspirational quotes. A number of students mentioned that they like to display favorite quotes around their writing space to keep them inspired and encouraged. One student wrote, “I love keeping motivational sticky-notes on my desk to keep my energy high throughout the day.” Another student wrote that their quotes make them feel “…safe and at peace.” Another student commented that their quote board is “…changeable, but it has been stuck on these lyrics from [their] favorite song for months now.” Though the presentation and effect of inspirational quotes in each space varies, the intention remains the same—students like to keep inspiring words close by, perhaps to encourage them when they are far from the people who might give that encouragement in person.

Coffee and snacks. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many students mentioned snacks and caffeine as a key feature of their at-home writing space. One student mentioned that they have enjoyed being home because they have easier access to snacks than on campus. These snacks and drinks are often kept close by, in the corners of desks or in easily reachable drawers. One student wrote, “My iced coffee is always on the right because I can’t study without it.” Another student echoed that sentiment, writing, “Coffee keeps me going throughout the day. The mug is constantly being filled—I will go through 2-3 pots of coffee a day (also an expensive and addictive habit).” Analyzing the coffee-drinking and snack-eating habits of students might seem excessive, but when a writer is comfortable, they seem more likely to be productive.

Drawing from these four themes, the Concordia University Irvine Writing Studio compiled a list of suggested improvements for our Writing Studio and writing centers across the country. These suggestions are divided into three sections—comfort, functionality, and aesthetics—in hopes that they could be used to better on-campus writing studios across the country. Though the study was designed to inform writing center staff members, there is a lot that other students can glean from the information as well, the most important take-away being you are not alone. Whether student, writing consultant, or professor, this study reminds us that though we may be physically isolated, we are all living similar experiences. Seeing the at-home spaces of other students does well to remind this author that she has not endured the pandemic alone.

Thank you to all the students who took the time to snap a photo of their space. Your feedback is what made this project meaningful. If you would like to view the original photo essay, follow this link: https://changeofsceneryphotoessay.wordpress.com/cui/

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Makenna Myers is from San Diego, California. She has a passion for words— reading, writing, and editing them. You can find her at her happiest with a pen in her hand and a blank page before her. Appropriately, she is a senior majoring in Humanities with an Emphasis in Creative Writing and a minor in English. Outside of her love for creative writing, she has experience writing CMS and MLA formats and has written for professors such as Danger, Armstrong, and Elliott (among many others).