Studying doesn’t always have to be the caffeine-infused anxiety attack many, many students have experienced. Studying can actually be relaxing, a break from running around all day.
We all know it can be impossible to study in your dorm, so where can you go on campus to dedicate an hour or two to productivity?
These three spots are favorites of Cal Poly students. Find one you have yet to try and see what a change of scenery can do for you when you’re struggling to focus on your studies.
1. The usual, Robert E. Kennedy Library
Surrounding yourself with other people studying is helpful to keeping you focused, just make the right floor choice. If you work better with background noise, try the first and second floors. If you need quiet but want to be able to open that bag of potato chips without being shushed, try the third and fourth. Fifth floor, see how much you can get done in total silence, you’ll be surprised. (Be warned, the hike up to the fifth floor will justify you skipping the gym that day).
“You can just smell the dedication,” said Computer Engineering first-year, James Caudill. “It’s like, sometimes you need the world to stop turning and that’s what the fifth floor offers. But if you need to be reminded where you are, you can just look outside.”
Don’t be confused if you see people doing handstands in between the aisles, blood flow to the head can help you focus!
Of course, the library may be in your been-there-done-that stage. Try these next spots to mix up your routine.
2. Dexter Lawn
Being outside is a much less stressful studying environment. Dexter Lawn is host to many students studying, playing Frisbee, and practicing yoga.
Dexter is not far from the center of campus, so stopping by can help you focus and rejuvenate in between classes. Share your free hours with all kinds of students that have chosen Dexter to host their break, or their nap.
There is always room for you to get a Subway sandwich next door, find a nice patch of grass and plunge into your books in this healthy, sunny environment.
3. North Mountain Lawn
The lawn between Whitney and Palomar may be the most visited place in dorm life. Any day of the week, you can find slack-liners, sun bathers, and avid readers.
These engineering dorms, although they are now filled with a variety of majors, provide the perfect spot to grab a blanket, a drink, and make a pile of study materials somewhere on the lawn for a fun environment. Keep an eye on the time, though. The laid-back atmosphere has rendered students sleepy before, but such a calm environment may be just what you need to get through those last few chapters.
“This place is great!” said Psychology first-year, Natalie Higgins, “With our sunny California winter, I can enjoy the weather, get my reading done, and concentrate much better than I would cooped up in my dorm.”
Test the waters with your friends and claim your spot at any of these locations. Studying just got a whole lot easier.