Dakota Howe

Hometown: North Rockland, New York

For me personally, outdoor environments cater to my personality and my performance in a way that helps me get things done and feel good about doing so.

My go to spots have to be close to water too! It would be the fountains that I do most of my work at. These spots are my favorite, especially near the business school (where I spend a lot of my time on campus) or by the Learning Center. A table with a bright colored, orange umbrella, positioned next to a sprinkling, splashing fountain is the perfect place to get some homework done, do some studying, or work on group projects. The feeling of the warm, late October, Miami sun, a light mist resinanting from the fountain nearby, the sound of the water splishing and splashing away, puts my mind in such a focussed trance ready to conquer the task at hand. 

Another one of my personal productivity/mental health areas would be the grassy, stepped area located in front of the Starbucks on campus. Being able to grab a coffee, maybe a warm snack, and set up a small work station right on the water. I consider this to be a top that students have access to for academic and social purposes. Clicking away at the keys of your laptop while being able to see a distant, out-of-focus image of Lake Osceola and the huge fountain, getting visited by a winged or scaled little friend, visions of fish flying out of the water, all while the smell of brewing espresso catches a ride with the warm breeze to flow, for just a few seconds at a time, right under your nose.