Top Five Study Spots

It’s midterm season and the HC Berkeley staff has the top 5 places to study on and near campus! 

Main Stacks

If you are the type who likes absolute silence while studying, Stacks is the place for you! Open until 2am, Stacks is absolutely free from all types of potential distractions like noise, windows, and best of all, cell coverage. During the crucial midterm-studying crunch and when focusing needs to be at an all time high, Stacks is a perfect quiet setting for a date with your favorite textbook. It’s pretty easy to find a seat, whether it is at a joint desk or a secluded cubicle. Just remember that people are pretty serious studiers here, so only head over if you’re looking to buckle down and study alone or quietly with a friend. 

Caffe Strada

Conveniently located across from campus, between Bancroft Way and Durant Avenue, Caffe Strada has outdoor patio seating with natural sunlight and a casual ambiance. If you can study with some background noise, Strada is a great place to write a paper, get some reading done, or meet with a study group while filling up on coffee and pastries! Just remember that it is cash only, so stop by the ATM before coming here. Caffe Strada also offers power outlets for your laptops and free wi-fi, but it can be spotty at times. If you’re easily distracted by Internet access, bring your books to Strada to catch up on readings or study for a test. 
 
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Doe- North Reading Room
 

Conveniently located in the heart of campus across from memorial glade, the North Reading room in Doe library is the perfect place to catch up on some work in between classes. The high ceilings and the large windows that let in natural light provide a warm and comfortable environment conducive to studying.  Grab a seat at one of the long wooden study tables and pop open your books.  Connection to Airbears is great, but be sure to check library open hours before you go.  Doe tends to close early in the evenings and on the weekends. 

The Jean Hargrove Music Library

The Jean Hargrove Music Library, located south of Morrison Hall, is ideal for students who value a quiet space where its low-key location makes it difficult to be distracted by an excess crowd. Floor one holds a reading and a computer room, where sparse furnishings and a cozy room size create an environment that is simultaneously intimate and productive. Grad students will find the graduate study room on the upper level equally conducive to work, supplemented by an enjoyable view of the lawns below. 

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BAMscape

Creative types are bound to enjoy the BAMscape installation in the center of the Berkeley Art Museum, designed by the award-winning architect Thom Faulders. The structure is composed of a series of curved orange ridges that serve as an eye-catching piece of art as well as comfortable seating. The cavernous surrounding space makes for a starkly pleasing atmosphere, and students who utilize the BAMscape are sure to be thankful for the complimentary Wi-Fi. The only rules? Shoes off. Socks on.