I'm a grad student, recently moved into a really really tiny office; how do i overcome the misery?

You see, I am a second yr grad student... in my first year, I had to share an office with 4 others, but the office was really big and nobody else was usually around so it was cool; now in the second yr, they have some sort of space crunch and they are moving me OUT of the department; into the library; the room is private, but really really tiny, no bigger than an oversized writing desk, it is 3 floors underground and has no window, just a narrow bookshelf and a desk/chair; the previous office had a printer; that's gone now; i am feeling really depressed, but of course i cant allow research to suffer, so how do i pick myself up? in fact these rooms in the library were so tiny that i was not aware of their existence in 1 whole year at the university.

I'm only 15, and i wouldn't totally know everything about your workspace, but my mom had the same problem too.

What she did was decorate it with a few momentos, pictures, magazines, etc (you know, things that peaked her interest). Afterwards, it improved her working ability by a large margin. Eventually, she moved out of the tiny office a few months later. The only thing I could say is to liven up your habitat. With small things that kickstart your mentality, you'd be able to work a lot better. And i'm not sure if your office is a checkpoint in which people pass by and say hi, but if not, then you should (like my mom did) go around during your breaks and socialize for a bit. Usually socializing would liven up anyone's day.

So, good luck. Just know that if you take small steps to individualize your work area, then your placement should be temporary anyway! and thank goodness for temporary, that's a good word.

I really hope i grasped your question correctly.
I just tried to take my mom's experience and see if it could be the same to yours.
i hope it helps!
:)

That's too bad. That would depress me too. Just think about why you are doing what you are doing and how it will "pay off". However, you should be lucky you have any space at all. I just graduated post-grad studies and I am still looking for work; any work.

Good luck!

Hmm, what if you decorate it and make it your own space? Bring your favorite pictures from home, maybe even some Christmas lights since it IS your office and decorate the place. You could also buy lightbulbs that are specially coated to mimic sunlight. That way, while you don't have a window, you won't be completely deprived of sunlight!

Mirrors

Add color and lots of lights. Spending tons of time in a office three floors underground could lead to season affective disorder all year round. Bring some extra lamps - maybe even one with a colored lampshade or funky bulb for fun. And put up posters that remind you of cheerful outdoor things: cloudy skies, colorful flowers, waterfalls, ocean waves, whatever floats your boat. If your budget allows for it, try to bring in fresh cut flowers once a week - mix in some Sprite to make them last longer. Good luck!

brighten it up with personal accouterments. try a sound therapy machine (like something that plays soothing ocean sounds or something). do you have internet access? if so try logging onto web cams so you can see the outside world. google earth is a great one to try.
this is kinda dorky but it might do the trick. make a recording of outside sounds. just record in the park or out in the quad of your school one day. make it as long as you can. then play it randomly while you're in your dungeon.
i hope some of this helps. i know what it's like to have a miserable work space.

Get a stereo so you can listen to your favorite tunes while you work and put up some of your favorite pictures (of friends, family, fun times, paintings, etc) on the walls. Hopefully that will help.

Put up a bright and light poster or two and use bright colored paint if you can to at least do the wall across from your desk.Keep the door open and put a large mirrow on it and angle the door so you can see ppl coming and going in the hallway. visit others during breaks and lunch so you won't feel left out also.Best wishes. Hey, you could be a senior again. Now that is a depressing time!