My room looks like a dragon’s lair. Except instead of a pile of golden, twinkling treasure, there are mounds of clothing, newspapers, textbooks and various foodstuffs. My bed is hardly visible, and there are shoulder-high piles of papers on my desk. The walls are covered with an assortment of posters, records, stuffed otters and other odds and ends. I keep my door open to try to be friendly, but mothers hide their children and tour guides rush pre-frosh past as soon as they catch sight of the room. Believe it or not, these conditions are a good thing.
Yes indeed, I think that a messy room might be the best thing that’s happened to me lately.
I have found that living in squalor is incredibly conducive to studying. It’s also liberating, ironically leading to a better quality of life through stress reduction and academic success. Therefore, everybody wanting to improve their study habits and happiness in general ought to immediately put all cleaning habits on hold. There are several good reasons for this.
First, maintaining a room’s cleanliness is hard. Vacuuming floors, folding clean clothes, filing papers and shelving books all take up a lot of time–time which could be better spent studying. Or playing Atari. As long as the inhabitant knows where everything is placed, he or she is set! There’s no need for organization and the time saved from the lack of cleaning can be used for more productive academic pursuits.
Also, the dearth of visitors to a dirty room causes the room to become an unparalleled haven for study. A mess is less distracting to a student because it hides all of the interesting things he or she owns. If I can’t look across the room and see my guitar from my desk, I won’t be tempted to play it. Filth is focus. I’ve also found that if you throw rabbit feed on the floor, you never want to walk around and therefore don’t want to leave your desk. The resulting productivity is incredible.
Furthermore, messes reduce stress. By removing the hassle and pressure of having to maintain a clean environment, the inhabitant automatically simplifies his or her situation. It usually takes a very laid-back kind of person to live in a messy environment, and self-inflicted untidiness instills this type of attitude. It might be difficult at first, but adjusting to a more carefree mindset leads to a happier existence. Once a person can get over a mess, other issues that may have irked him or her before become less bothersome. The small things cease to be a bother. Perspective emerges. I’ve found that those people who live in fetid situations often are incredibly wise and philosophical.
Sometimes, however, the drawbacks of a messy room become evident. It might be hard to believe, but there are costs: estrangement and judgment from others, lost socks, colonies of sparrows nesting on the bedposts and an odd odor now and then. There’s also a feeling of guilt–the impression that somehow your isolation gives you an exclusive corner on the “I’m the Best Studier on Campus” market (because everyone wants that, right?), though others should be able to share it. But it’s all worthwhile when improved grades help you get ahead in the world. Just be sure to borrow an iron before your interview.
Of course this lifestyle isn’t for everybody. There will remain those steadfast individuals who are able to study in the library, content with organization and bright lights. For the rest of us, though, pushing through our leftover coffee cups, and sleeping with our feet under assorted flannel shirts and athletic shorts, a mess is the best. Just don’t feed the birds when you visit us.
Gjefle is a junior majoring in English and biology. Comments can be sent to andrew.gjefle@whitworthian.com.
OPINION: Studying in the clutter
Published: Monday, March 8, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 9, 2010
 "Photo: Aileen Benson/Whitworthian")
Aileen Benson/Whitworthian
1 comments
This article is hilarious! Though we both know that I could never be a squalor-dwelling person, I can definitely see the potential benefits of living like you do. Thanks for making me laugh!