Using Earplugs for Studying

Tanja Schmolze, Germany, Guest article

When I was a student I had to work regularly in the library. Unfortunately, I often had problems concentrating, because it was often not quiet enough. Many different noises accumulated: a neighbour was typing on his laptop, another one was leafing through books, two were whispering nearby, someone was constantly walking up and down the stairs, etc. So I asked myself what I could do about it and noticed that many people in the library used earplugs. There was also a vending machine with earplugs at the entrance to the library, so that seemed to be common. A pair cost €2, so I decided to try them out. And? It was worth it at the time, because the earplugs suppressed most of the noise, but not all.

So far I only went to the library when I really needed to (research, paper writing). However, I was studying at home because of the noise in the library. Since I started using earplugs, I can also study in the library and I am more efficient and focused than at home. However, there are still disadvantages to the earplugs: I had to readjust them more often to find the perfect position (i.e. to position them so that I no longer hear any noise). They were not very hygienic, but buying new ones every day was out of the question (a five-day week would have cost €10 just for this). It would also have produced a lot of garbage, because the earplugs were packed in plastic boxes. Since then I have been using the reusable BOLLSEN Life+, earplugs, the same pair every day. After each use, I cleaned them with soap and water and they were like new. I no longer have to spend money on disposable earplugs every day.

Using Earplugs for Studying

Login

Register