As someone who lives in what I think is one of the tiniest, shoebox-like dorms I’ve ever seen, I know how important it is to go out into the world when studying or doing homework. It’s also important to realize when your study spaces no longer help you focus.
Are you slowly realizing you’re playing “Papa’s Freezeria” more than reading the assigned chapters for your class in Strozier Library? Or, maybe that one celebrity’s cheating scandal is more important to you once you sit down to work at Landis Green. You have to figure out when and where you study best!
So, here are my favorite spots to study that I’ve found over the fall semester, both on and off campus.
- Midtown Reader & the Piebrary
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I adore Midtown Reader and its attached café on the second floor. This stop has a wonderful selection of books, a kids’ reading area, and events such as author discussions. It’s also stunning on both the inside and outside.
Midtown Reader’s café, adorably named “the Piebrary,” offers plenty of treats to keep you fueled while studying, with pie slices, coffee, and tea such as chai and matcha!
I want to focus on the adorable study nook on the second floor near the Piebrary for now, though. This calming corner offers warm mood lighting, a wooden desk and decorations, and comfy high chairs. You can also listen and enjoy the sounds of people flipping through books and the barista chatting with others while making drinks.
- Dirac Science Library
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At the beginning of this semester, I was an absolute Strozier apologist. My favorite spots in Strozier would be the little airplane-like cubbies on the far back wall of the 3rd floor. But as final exam studying has come around, I’ve found that my favorite spots are already being taken during the busy studying times of the semester.
Enter Dirac Science Library! Although I felt weird not being a STEM major the first few times I entered this library, I’ve learned that no one truly knows I’m not.
Dirac came and swooped in to save me after I ran out of luck with Strozier. I found a home within the little cubicles on the left wall of its basement floor. Although they’re less comfortable than those at Strozier, they fill the quiet, compact hole in my heart that’s yearning for a small space to work.
- Cascades Park
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If I’m bored of Landis Green and need a dose of nature while studying, I go to Cascades Park! Its scenery is stunning, and the park itself is diverse in its areas, so it rarely gets boring.
When you study on Landis Green, you can hop over to Argo Tea to get a quick drink. Well, Cascades Park has a café near it too. Argonaut Coffee is walkable from wherever you sit down to study at the park and is just as delicious as it is convenient. It’s adorable inside the shop itself, so if I’m studying in colder weather, I have an escape.
- Honorable Mentions
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I have a few honorable mentions of study spots that I’ve run into when I need to get work done after a class or during an event.
The umbrella benches outside the lowest level of the Hoffman Teaching Lab (HTL) can be calming, especially if you look towards the greenery. A fast food chain such as Taco Bell or Popeyes makes for a great, bustling study space if you want a little more noise. There’s even an odd bush by Strozier and Bellamy that can make for a good nook.
With so many to choose from during final exam preparation, it’s up to you to find the spaces that best work for you. For me, these spots are the top choices that I frequent when I need to grind out some work. Happy studying!
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