How Someone Who Hated Study Centers Ended Up Helping Create One

After keeping this series going for so long, I finally have a sponsor-daddy stepping in to fund it (?) This time, that sponsor is Chachun Study Room.

They are also one of my freelance clients.

So calling this a sponsored post does not feel quite right, since I am responsible for some of the work behind the study room.

I will tell you exactly which part later. Let me keep you guessing for now.

If you have read the earlier posts, you probably know that I am not exactly someone who enjoys studying or working in conventional study spaces. If anything, I like feeling the bustle of a noisy place—which makes me sound like some kind of monster.

So I hate study centers.

Study centers in particular. I really, really hate them.

Many study centers still make you call to reserve a seat, and I am a little socially anxious. The moment I hear that I need to phone someone, my head starts to hurt.

But if I simply show up, there may be no seat left—or only a truly awful one.

Honestly, I also dislike the mood in many study centers. It feels as if you cannot slack off for even a second, listen to music freely, or wriggle around whenever you want (?).

Fine. I am simply a fussy person who also likes to fool around a little.

Then one day I visited a friend's cram school for an unrelated matter and took the opportunity to trade notes about teaching.

Oh, right—I am still a physics teacher XD.

I saw an enormous empty area inside the cram school, pointed at it, and asked, “What is this?”

This was the view that greeted me when I first walked in.
This was the view that greeted me when I first walked in.

My friend replied, looking slightly embarrassed, “This? It is a study room. We have not officially opened it yet.”

Curious, I went in, looked around, and tried a seat. “Whoa, is that leather? The chair, I mean.” “And your desks have writing mats?”

“So when are you going to open?”

My friend just looked at me and smiled.

And that was how I decided to help run this study center (?).

Online Reservation System

If my partners and I were going to operate this study room, the first thing to do was eliminate everything I hated about study centers XDDDD.

As I have developed my digital-marketing skills—and as my partners and friends have steadily raised the bar—I have finally learned to tell whether something actually looks good.

Website building happens to be one of my strengths, whether it is front-end HTML/CSS/JS or the WordPress work I have recently taken up. It is also part of the freelance work I now do.

Please allow me one tiny moment of swagger in my own area of expertise (hey).

As a quick aside, my front-end teacher is Wu Che-Yu on Hahow: Interactive Web Animation for Beginners (HTML/CSS/JS).

After taking it, you can build a personal website like the one you are reading now.

If you want to learn WordPress site building, my top recommendation is Lu-Ke’s course: WordPress E-Commerce Website Course.

Finish that course and you can build the kind of site I made for the study room.

From what little I have seen, the websites of most study centers on the market are—how should I put this—not very attractive.

Many still use old-fashioned framed layouts, carry information that looks as if it has been sitting there since the early 2000s, and do little with social media.

Never mind an online reservation system.

To distinguish it from a traditional study center, we decided to call it a “study room.”

I also built a dedicated website for it.

The Chachun Study Room website. Click the image above to visit it, or search Google for “Chachun Study Room.”
The Chachun Study Room website. Click the image above to visit it, or search Google for “Chachun Study Room.”

Because socially anxious people may not enjoy making reservation calls, I installed the Amelia booking system on the WordPress site. It lets visitors reserve a study period online with very little effort.

There is no need to phone the front desk, and you can check whether the seat you prefer is available.

The reservation-system screen.
The reservation-system screen.

Sometimes socially anxious people learn an impressive number of skills simply to make their surroundings more comfortable. That is basically what happened here XD.

I also know that people often forget the time they booked. Having to phone an administrator just to ask when your own reservation is would be a pain.

Trust me: the administrator would find you annoying, and you would be thoroughly annoyed with yourself too.

A confirmation email arrives after the reservation is completed.
A confirmation email arrives after the reservation is completed.

Once you finish the booking process, the email address you used receives a message containing your reservation details.

The member email also lets you set a new password. You can then use your email address and that password to sign in and review your reservations.

You only need to enter the study room when it is actually time to study. Everything else can be handled beforehand.

Pretty convenient, is it not?

And that was the end of my job—well, not quite. My main responsibilities were building the website system and managing social media.

I was not closely involved in the physical operation of the space.

So from this point on, I will guide you around the study room from something closer to an outsider's perspective.

Getting to the Study Room

Official-information reminder: the address currently listed by Chachun Study Room is 2F, No. 148, Bannan Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City. Opening hours vary between school terms and winter or summer breaks, so confirm with Chachun Study Room before setting out.

If you are starting from Gangqian Station, I have two words for you.

Two words.

“So. Far.”

The study room is near Jing'an MRT Station.

From Gangqian, you can transfer to the Green Line at Nanjing Fuxing and then switch to the Orange Line at Guting.

Or you can transfer to the Blue Line at Zhongxiao Fuxing and then to the Orange Line at Zhongxiao Xinsheng.

Either way, you have to change lines at least twice.

An ad for Women in Taipei that I saw while passing Zhongxiao Fuxing that day—a drama seemingly determined to offend both Taipei and Tainan residents in record time.
An ad for Women in Taipei that I saw while passing Zhongxiao Fuxing that day—a drama seemingly determined to offend both Taipei and Tainan residents in record time.

The first time I visited, I had agreed to meet my friend there at 1:00 p.m. At 12:30, I was still appearing at Gangqian Station.

“Come on. What station could possibly take more than half an hour to reach?”

Do not copy me. Plenty of stations take longer than half an hour, and I made my friend wait almost twenty extra minutes that day.

Jing'an Station itself.
Jing'an Station itself.

During the meeting I looked around and realized that the place was near Jinghe Senior High School.

Was this not the site of the first stage of my national exam last year—the one with both torrential rain and an earthquake? How nostalgic!

I checked my phone: “2F, No. 148, Bannan Road, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City.” Whoa, there was still quite a walk ahead.

Let me show you what you will pass along the way.

You will see an overpass after leaving the MRT station.
You will see an overpass after leaving the MRT station.
Do not worry: there is a fair amount to eat nearby. As long as there is a bubble-tea shop, I can probably survive.
Do not worry: there is a fair amount to eat nearby. As long as there is a bubble-tea shop, I can probably survive.
You will pass a flower shop with a ridiculously cute tuxedo cat, although it retreats inside whenever it sees people.
You will pass a flower shop with a ridiculously cute tuxedo cat, although it retreats inside whenever it sees people.
You will also pass a Four-Faced Buddha shrine. Photographing the statue felt inappropriate, so I photographed an elephant instead (?).
You will also pass a Four-Faced Buddha shrine. Photographing the statue felt inappropriate, so I photographed an elephant instead (?).

Walk a little farther after the shrine, then turn left into a small lane.

This is the first corner into the lane.
This is the first corner into the lane.
You need to turn once more when you reach this corner.
You need to turn once more when you reach this corner.
Continue straight along this road.
Continue straight along this road.
Look up to the right—ta-da! There is the Chachun sign.
Look up to the right—ta-da! There is the Chachun sign.

Chachun Study Room belongs to Chachun Education, so the study area is actually inside the cram school.

If you see the Chachun Education sign, you are definitely in the right place.

Turn right here.

You will pass a breakfast shop.
You will pass a breakfast shop.

At the end, look to your right and you will see the street number 148.

The shiny No. 148 plaque.
The shiny No. 148 plaque.

Turn right once more and you will find the entrance leading up to the study room.

You do not need to say it. I also find this journey almost unbelievably long.

Wait—am I turning this into negative advertising? Ah, whatever XD.

Inside the Study Room

This is what you see as soon as the elevator opens on the second floor.
This is what you see as soon as the elevator opens on the second floor.

The first time I saw it, I thought, “Whoa, this cram school really takes its entrance design seriously.”

The more I looked at it, though, the more I thought: an entrance creates the first impression, so perhaps there is nothing wrong with putting care into it.

There is an enormous shoe cabinet by the entrance.
There is an enormous shoe cabinet by the entrance.

It reminded me that the last time I had to remove my shoes at a cram school was probably during my Japanese lessons at Shigeta Juku. I did not expect to find another cram school in Taiwan that asks people to take off their shoes.

Still, the study room requires students to remove their shoes in order to keep the interior clean.

To keep post-shoe-removal odors under control, the space uses several air purifiers and air-conditioning units.

My thoughtful partners even provided an area where people can wash their feet!

Various fire-safety inspection documents are displayed on the emergency exit.
Various fire-safety inspection documents are displayed on the emergency exit.

Because I also work in cram-school education, I naturally pay attention to things like this. I remember asking my friend very directly, “Did you complete the full fire-safety inspection process?”

“Yes. We passed all of the fire-safety inspections,” my friend replied as casually as could be.

That is actually quite an achievement. From what I know, plenty of cram schools do not have especially comprehensive fire-safety inspections.

A sneaky photo of the two Chachun cram-school teachers from the doorway.
A sneaky photo of the two Chachun cram-school teachers from the doorway.

Although all three of us teach at cram schools, I had never worked with either of them before, nor had I watched them teach.

If the opportunity ever arises, we really should exchange demonstration lessons and settle this with a cram-school-teacher showdown. What are we even doing?

My favorite wall in the whole space.
My favorite wall in the whole space.

The clock on the wall is set to Japan time, so it gives me a tiny sense of temporal disorientation every time XDDD.

A very cute bamboo... plant?
A very cute bamboo... plant?
Apparently this is called a feng-shui rolling-ball fountain.
Apparently this is called a feng-shui rolling-ball fountain.

The cram school is filled inside and out with little feng-shui objects like this, but this rolling ball is my favorite.

I especially enjoy making it spin backward. Once, curiosity got the better of me and I lifted the whole ball out, spraying water all over the table.

There is also a power outlet beside it. Hehe.

A water dispenser whose water tastes surprisingly good.
A water dispenser whose water tastes surprisingly good.

Drinks are not allowed inside the study room, so paper cups and a water dispenser are available outside. The dispenser's water quality is checked regularly, which is nice—my public-health instincts are showing again.

Halfway through the visit, I suddenly decided to spring an inspection on something many places overlook: the restroom.

The restrooms at study centers I had visited before were often not great. I would honestly rather go to a department-store restroom to poop.

An almost spotless sink.
An almost spotless sink.
Without context, I might have thought this was a hotel washbasin.
Without context, I might have thought this was a hotel washbasin.
An exceptionally clean toilet.
An exceptionally clean toilet.

The restroom may not be the main feature of a study space, but people sometimes study all day. If the toilet is not comfortable, even your butt will have a rough time.

The restroom here was very clean and did not feel gross or uncomfortable at all.

Honestly, part of the reason I agreed to help build the website was that I thought the toilet was comfortable to sit on XDDDD.

The mysterious phone locker.
The mysterious phone locker.

Before entering the study room itself, you will see a huge cabinet near the doorway.

The first time I saw it, I asked my friend, “What is this?”

“A phone-detox locker. If you lock your phone inside, you cannot take it out while studying, which helps break the habit.”

Whoa. Would anyone really put their phone in this cabinet? XDDD That was my first thought.

A guide to seat rules and payment options at the study room.
A guide to seat rules and payment options at the study room.

The front desk prepared a rather attractive guide so staff can explain the payment options while visitors follow along.

According to the current Chachun Study Room website, there are three payment options: time-slot bookings, which use the online system to select a period and seat; monthly plans; and an unlimited-use plan, neither of which uses the reservation system. Check the official website for current prices, sessions, and rules.

Because the payment models need some explanation, it would be awkward to discuss them without a visual guide. That is how this handout came to exist.

The monthly plan's date-selection sheet.
The monthly plan's date-selection sheet.

For the full payment process, see the official website: View Current Payment Options and Process.

Since today I am playing the role of reviewer-slash-semi-sponsored-promoter, payment should not apply to me... right? XD.

Inside the study room.
Inside the study room.

No one was there during my visit because it was a little after 3:00 p.m. and the students had not finished school.

The sunlight coming through the windows felt unexpectedly pleasant.

The study room seen from the back with the lights on.
The study room seen from the back with the lights on.

You can see that each person gets a fairly wide desk area. This is what I think a good study seat should feel like.

I really dislike the cramped feeling that makes it seem as if standing up from your chair will disturb the entire world. Orz.

Books and a laptop on the desk. My legs accidentally made it into the shot—terribly sorry >////<.
Books and a laptop on the desk. My legs accidentally made it into the shot—terribly sorry >////<.

Since I was already there for a visit, naturally I had to study hard for a while.

At the time of this visit, the study room accepted only junior and senior high school students, which somehow made me the only national-exam candidate allowed to study there. Proud.

One desk photo without my legs.
One desk photo without my legs.

Each seat is quite large. A 14-inch laptop plus several books fit on the desk without much trouble; it has plenty of depth.

The desk mat may feel slightly awkward for some kinds of handwriting, but it can simply be lifted away.

Every seat has a number.
Every seat has a number.

To distinguish seats in the reservation system while preserving the room's overall look, each one has an embossed number marker.

A small card listing the study-room rules.
A small card listing the study-room rules.

A rules card is posted at the upper-right corner of every seat, reminding users not to do anything naughty that damages the space or disturbs other people.

The outlets and desk lamp at each seat.
The outlets and desk lamp at each seat.

Every seat has two outlets. One powers the desk lamp, and the other is available for personal use.

So you do not have to worry about your phone, tablet, or laptop running out of power.

Of course, if you are trying to detox from your phone, you can use the locker outside. Smiles brightly.

The study room also recognizes that many students bring only a power bank and charging cable, so charging adapters are available at the front desk. I found that thoughtful.

The outlets are three-prong, so even a high-performance laptop should not require an adapter.

As someone who likes carrying a gaming laptop everywhere and constantly worries about battery life, I greatly appreciate a three-prong outlet.

The desk lamps also let you adjust both brightness and color temperature.

Being able to shape a comfortable study environment for yourself is genuinely nice.

A comfortable chair that is pleasant to sit in.
A comfortable chair that is pleasant to sit in.

At other study centers, I sometimes found the chairs unusually uncomfortable and even scratchy.

For someone who loves wearing short shorts in summer, an uncomfortable chair makes me want to scratch my legs constantly. Orz.

The chairs here, by contrast, were smooth leather and felt very comfortable, so sitting in them was relaxed rather than irritating.

There is plenty of space between seats.
There is plenty of space between seats.
A helpful piece of air-quality equipment.
A helpful piece of air-quality equipment.

I studied in this space for an afternoon and personally thought the air smelled good. I imagine the purifiers and air conditioning were doing their job.

The generous spacing between seats also allowed the air to circulate reasonably well.

Because the room is in a residential area, it was not particularly noisy; overall, I found it quite quiet.

The view outside the window.
The view outside the window.

Unlike many places that cover every window, this study room leaves most of them open so natural light can come in.

If you grow tired while studying, you can stand up and look outside—although this is a residential neighborhood, so the view may simply be the building next door (?).

I could not photograph what I looked like sitting at the desk, so I asked one of the teachers to sit there and model the general effect.
I could not photograph what I looked like sitting at the desk, so I asked one of the teachers to sit there and model the general effect.

Hey, friend, why do you not look like a student at all?

My friend rolled their eyes. “I am a teacher, not a student. What is wrong with that?”

Conclusion

To be precise, my main role in the operation of this study room was the small side business I had recently started: building its online systems and planning its marketing.

I was not deeply involved in the physical operation, so the environment and institutional setup mainly depended on my other two partners.

That makes me feel a little like an outsider introducing the physical space in this article XD.

Even so, as someone who genuinely dislikes study centers, I still thought this was a great place and would happily come here to read.

It removes nearly all the things I used to hate about study centers, letting me find a quiet seat with an outlet where I can work or study while keeping human interaction to a minimum.

Although this is sponsored in a sense, I sincerely want to recommend the place.

BTW, sharp-eyed readers may have noticed that Gan-Zai, the LINE sticker character I recently designed, is also the mascot of Chachun Study Room.

You can spot Gan-Zai in the upper-left corner of the study-room website.

This was another service I was offering at the time: helping clients design mascots, develop merchandise, and support brand management. Designing stickers was the first stage of that process.

Here is the sticker-purchase link. Because I have strict standards for mascot cuteness and appearance, I would never plaster a logo across the mascot's body. You may use it with confidence :D.

Buy Some Cool Stickers

If you are interested in this kind of work, feel free to contact me :).

The pufferfish recently kept by one of my partners.
The pufferfish recently kept by one of my partners.

At the very end, let us close with these adorable pufferfish. I may have done a few not-so-nice things to them while preparing this article XD. If you want the story, feel free to message me XDDDD.

That is all for now. See you in the next article :D.

Want to read the other posts in the study-space series? Use the link below!

Read More Study-Space Articles