Is Studying in a Coworking Space Viable During COVID-19?

The concept of the coworking space was initially developed to provide workers from the gig economy and startups with a place where they can work flexibly and affordably. In recent years, however, these shared offices are no longer reserved exclusively for working people. They have also successfully attracted students into the fold. Now, this begs the question of whether studying in a coworking space will ever work. Will it? Let’s find out why students, especially those taking up their masters, have found great value in workspaces offered by WeWork, Novel Coworking, Offices.co, and others.

The Benefits of Studying in a Coworking Space: Accessibility

Most coworking spaces are often available for everyone on a 24-hour basis. While campus libraries and study rooms are great options for studying, they are not as accessible as coworking spaces since they are usually only open for limited hours.

Furthermore, for students who need to go online, the accessibility of coworking spaces is a huge relief since they don’t have easy access to libraries. Professionals taking their doctorate degrees often choose online courses because of the flexibility afforded with them. This way, it is easier to study at your chosen time without dealing with the noise in a coffee shop or a public library.

Focus

One of the challenges of studying in your living room or a cafe is dealing with distractions. There will always be something to take attention away from your studies. This is where coworking spaces can become an excellent alternative to your usual school library. You will be compelled to focus on your studies because almost everyone in shared workspaces is busy doing their own work. This energy is also an excellent way to motivate you to finish your studies so you can start your career like them.

Opportunities

As a student, you have to pass your course to get your degree, but this doesn’t mean that you should not work toward building your network. While studying in a coworking space, it would be nice to take the opportunity to get to know people and increase your list of contacts. Remember, you can meet all sorts of people in a coworking space since almost all industries from the digital world to traditional businesses are well-represented here. Make sure to use your time to expand your network even while you are still a student.

Health and Fitness

Studying in a coworking space means getting access to amenities that may not be otherwise offered in libraries. Of these, is access to onsite health and fitness offerings like in-house gyms or sports hubs where they can unwind after a busy day studying for your doctorate. You have to consider health and fitness as part of your regimen since a healthy body promotes a healthy mind.

Event Spaces

Aside from health and fitness hubs, most coworking spaces also offer event space available for use by their clients. If you are planning to hold a meeting for your student organization, you can use some of the conference rooms in your shared workspace.

Affordability

When you think about all the perks and added amenities that you get from a coworking space, you realize that it is worth the membership fee. When you have a dedicated space that can help you with your studies, you should consider it an investment. Any money you spend on furthering yourself should always be looked at as wise spending. Plus, coworking spaces often offer discounts for students! All you have to do is present proof of your enrollment or registration, and you can get as much as a 10% discount. For a student, that’s a lot!

Coworking spaces are evolving along with the needs of their clientele. Before these coworking spaces serve the freelancers and startups, they also cater to students’ desire to maximize their studying opportunities.

Featured Image: CoWomen, Unsplash.