Being a student in my junior year here at Oregon State University I’ve gone through finals week far too many times already. The struggle is definitely real and can be made even more stressful when you can’t find a nice quiet place to study. I’ve found a few spots that you may or you may not know of, but if you do check out these spots for the first time remember to be courteous: don’t be that guy loudly crunching his food or that girl talking on her phone louder than you thought possible.
1. Austin Hall
As a student who attends many business classes, advising appointments, and professional events within Austin Hall, it has become almost like a second home to me. I love the couches on the first floor, Trader Bing’s Cafe with all the goodies they offer, and of course the fireplaces to keep you warm during winter. This is a great place to curl up on a couch and study away. If you prefer something a bit more serious they also have study rooms available to reserve online on the first and second floor.
2. The Memorial Union
The Memorial Union is a great place to study because they not only have the comfiest couches to study on in their main lounge, but they also have additional lounges and rooms available. There is the Veterans’ Lounge and the Family Friendly lounge that students can utilize for studying. Java Stop within the Memorial Union is also a great place to stop for your coffee fix. Additionally in the larger food court area there is Joe’s Burgers, Panda Express, Togo’s. There is also Bites for a quick snack or some emergency cold medicine for when your roommate coughs a little too loudly. Additionally, you can find Pangea and Bueno’s Burritos if you have a little bit longer to wait for food. The nice thing as well is typically if you utilize the rooms upstairs, they come by with a food cart periodically with apples, oranges, and different types of juice. The Trysting Tree Lounge is also a nice spot as they have larger tables for when you need to spread out a book or two to study.
3. The Learning Innovation Center
I just started studying in the Learning Innovation Center last term and still have yet to actually have a class in the building. That said, I really love the variety of study nooks available in this building. There are open couches, tables, and individual study nooks on every floor which really provides a good range for students who may be working on projects, cramming for exams, or collaborating on a study guide. I also really love the convenience store and cafe in the building called The Dam. They have coffee, cereal, snacks, and basically any other food or drink you could think of wanting while staying up all night studying. Many times the door will be locked past a certain time but if you catch someone’s eye you may be able to sneak in and utilize this space.
4. Kelley Engineering Center
Kelley Engineering Center is home to the electrical engineering and computer science programs respectively. That said, I’ve had a business class or two within this building myself and so I’ve been able to utilize the study spaces they have available. They have chairs and tables in their main floor area, near many of their classrooms, and some scattered around as you move upstairs. My favorite part of Kelley Engineering Center, though, is definitely the E. Cafe. They have coffee, smoothies, protein shakes, sandwiches, and the best soups around for staying warm while you’re cramming for finals.
5. The Valley Library
To be honest, the Valley Library, though an obvious study spot, is not actually my favorite place to go during finals week. They do have many tables, study rooms, and couches available but this place is absolutely packed during finals week. The competition for a table is absolutely fierce and far too often I have to end up studying on the 5th and 6th floors which are the specified quiet floors. Now this may be fine for you if you don’t want to talk at all while studying but I get a little fidgety with all that quiet myself. That said, the library does have Java II which does brew some delicious coffee, have some great snacks, and provide some yummy breakfast sandwiches which you can microwave in a pinch.
6. The Student Experience Center
The Student Experience Center is home to twenty-eight student programs, including Orange Media Network and the Craft Center. The center was created in hopes of taking learning outside of the classroom. Though the center doesn’t have as much study space, it does have a few couches in the main lounge which are really comfortable and great to use during finals week or when you need to finish up a group project. The craft center also hosts Watercolor Wellness Wednesdays, which are a great destresser for getting through finals week.
7. The Beth Ray Center for Academic Support
The Beth Ray Center is home to a variety of study spaces on the first and second floor of the building. There are study lounges on the first floor with open space for meeting with larger groups and study rooms on the second floor with table space and white boards. There is also a computer lab on the first floor with 29 computers and 2 printing stations. In addition,there are many programs you can utilize such as supplemental instruction study tables for specific courses, the writing center staff members, the university exploratory studies program (if you’re struggling with what to major in), and academic coaching services. The center is open from 7 am-5 pm Monday through Friday.
8. The Academic Success Center in Waldo Hall
Waldo 102 is home to the academic success center and has many of the same services as the Beth Ray center but provides another great space for studying. It is home to academic coaching, ALS courses, supplemental instruction study tables, and the university exploratory studies program.
9. The Linus Pauling Science Center
The Linus Pauling Science Center is home to the Linus Pauling Institute which works to promote optimal health through cutting-edge nutrition research and public outreach. There are many couches to use for studying in between classroom spaces as well as lots of tables to meet at in the Ava’s cafe space. I love studying in the science center because you can grab a cup of coffee at Ava’s and just hang out while studying. There is always a lot going on but somehow the space isn’t distracting. Ava’s cafe also has the best soups and sandwiches for a chilly day on campus.
10. Kidder Hall
Kidder Hall is a great studying space because it is home to the math learning center and right across from the Valley library. Though the math learning center tutors aren’t available during finals week, they keep the room open and available for studying and collaboration on math problems or just general studying. They have lots of large tables for you to spread out all your study materials.