Where to Study this Exam Season

If you’re reading this you might be thinking, “WOW, this might be the most boring article ever. L. A. M. E. I don’t want to spend my spare time reading about libraries!!!!” Well. The inspiration for this article came from the fact that this is actually very helpful and needed advice, and I would advise anyone who studies for exams to read it. Seriously people, finding a comfortable spot to cram for finals shouldn’t be a barbaric competition. 

If you frequent the libraries on Queen’s Campus, you know a few things. #1: there are only two of them, and #2, they are almost always packed. Well, they’re packed when it matters most. Nearing the impending doom that radiates from exam season, it’s tough to find a decent place to study, especially if you aren’t the type to arrive at the library promptly for 8am, or sleepover there and literally never give anyone a chance to take your spot. Really, there are people who do that.

Anyway, I don’t want anyone going through their time at Queen’s thinking there’s no way to cop a good study spot during exam season. Queen’s campus has many hidden gems in terms of quiet places to get on the grind.

So, there are the obvious – Douglas Library and Stauffer are great places to go and it really just takes your own experience to decide what floor or desk is best for you. Top floor of Douglas is the best for group study without having to book a room, though you might find it’s too much of a social scene, as it often feels like you encounter everyone you know on campus there. The level furthest underground in Douglas is ideal for solo studying; with absolutely no cell service accompanied by complete silence, there’s virtually nothing to get distracted by. 

Okay, I lied, there are officially 3 libraries on campus, but this one is definitely less popular. The Law Library is also a sweet study spot. It’s smaller, it’s much less occupied/busy. If you haven’t been there, it’s definitely worth a visit because it has a very Harry Potter-esque feel to it and it will probably become your new go-to library. Something that’s really underrated about Queen’s is how so many buildings have their own library-esque space, and they’re almost always completely empty because everyone focuses on locking down their spot at Douglas or Stauff. Theological hall has a sick study room on the top floor. It’s really spacious and it overlooks Nixon field, super nice. Always empty. 10 people max and it probably seats 100.

Another secluded spot that’s bound to have space is the basement of Jeffrey hall. This one definitely doesn’t satisfy the needs of someone who prefers to work in an aesthetically pleasing space; there’s lots of concrete and not much else, but it’s very quiet and rarely busy.

One smaller library-ish spot is in Botterell Hall. Not the most popular building at Queen’s due to the fact that it feels so far away from everything else, but it’s a great option if you seek something other than anything listed above. Also, if you’re going to post up somewhere all day, it doesn’t even matter that it seems far from everything else. OH, and there is an excellent restaurant/café in the basement that has the best all day breakfast deals. 

Last but not least, most departments have their very own study room in random buildings. The one I am familiar with is the Econ study room in Dunning, but if you do a bit of research I’m sure the other department study rooms aren’t too hard to find!

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