You have an exam tomorrow, it is two in the morning and someone is asleep two metres away. Switching the ceiling light on is not an option, and studying in the dark by the glow of the screen does not work for long either. These are the things that work best in a shared room or flat.
1. Light only your desk
A ceiling light fills the whole room; a directed light stays where you need it. A desk lamp turned towards the table works, and so does a light bar clipped to your laptop. What matters is that the beam points down and not towards the bed next to you.
2. Lower the brightness and choose warm light
A warm light at half intensity is far less noticeable from the other side of the room than a white one at full power, and it is enough for reading notes. Lower your screen brightness too: it is one more light source.
3. Mind the noise as much as the light
- Headphones always, even for a two-minute video.
- Phone and laptop on silent, with no vibration on the desk.
- If your keyboard is loud, write your summaries by hand at those hours.
4. Get everything ready beforehand
What wakes people up is not studying, it is getting up to look for things. Before your flatmate goes to bed, put your notes, charger, water and a snack on the desk. That way you are not opening drawers and bags at three in the morning.
5. Talk about it before exam week
Five minutes of conversation prevents a lot of arguments: which nights you will stay up late, until what time, and what bothers them more, the light or the noise. Offer the same when it is their turn.
6. Have a plan B
During exam season many universities open libraries and study rooms through the night. For the longest nights, leaving the room is often best for both of you.
A light made for this
The Cenit lamp clips on top of your laptop and lights the keyboard and your notes without lighting up the rest of the room. It has a warm tone, adjustable brightness and is USB powered from the computer itself (USB-A to USB-C cable included), so you do not need a free socket.