<p>Hello,</p>
<p>I’m an older online student (41), but live by UIUC. My issue is that I come from work every day to an empty house to try and study alone. I get distracted easily. If I go to a coffee shop, I end up just drinking a bunch of coffee and food and that adds up in money, plus, depending on where I go, it’s not always possible to study (some people’s annoying children). All the older students I know don’t study until very, very late at night, because their home life isn’t one conducive to any studying. If I go to the library, for small things like just to use the bathroom, I have to pack up all my stuff to drag it all there so it doesn’t get stolen, plus, walking on campus alone at night isn’t the safest thing to do. </p>
<p>I’m hoping to find a way to come up with some study buddies. I don’t need help with my homework, just someone who is also there studying. Someone who also might want to go to the library, but not necessarily walk alone (or maybe even walk at all as I’d be driving from my house and can provide a ride), and just help watch each other’s stuff and just "be there, or to have a 5 minute conversation once an hour to break up the monotony. I can’t have someone who talks incessantly as I’d get nothing done. Just another person or few people who would like another person present during study time. Even if it was just a once-a-week thing, I think it would help me stay more focused on what I need to do.</p>
<p>Does anyone have any suggestions?</p>