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With finals approaching, we all know there are going to be crowds of students in the Student Union, the library and both All Knight Studies. I can guarantee it won’t be easy to find a quiet corner all to yourself in any one of those places. Everyone will be over-tired and cramming their brains with a semester’s worth of information. So if you’re looking for a quiet place away from the crowds, you may just want to take a seat in the outdoors. UCF has a large campus with a lot of beautiful places to sit down and study. Check out the top five outdoor places to study on campus this finals week!
Honors College Meditation Garden
You probably walk past this area at least once a week on campus and don’t even notice that it’s there.  This meditation garden is a part of the Burnett Honors College and is the perfect place to study outdoors. The name says it all! It’s a Zen environment where concentration will be at its finest. Pair this spot with some soothing instrumental music and studying for finals will be a breeze.
Reflection Pond
This is an extremely popular spot on campus. It’s definitely the most photographed, but it never seems to be packed with students wanting to study. Bring a blanket, a sandwich and your books and you’re all set to have a successful day of picnicking and studying!
Memory Mall
This is another spot on campus that you never seem to miss. Usually, you can find a group of boys playing football or some hippies camping out. But this week, the mall will be a ghost town. And do you know what that means? It’s the perfect place to study for your finals! It’s a quiet, open space that definitely won’t be crowded, which makes it the perfect environment to put your nose in the books and your brain to work.
Lake Claire
I’m not talking about the outdoor courtyards between the apartments, either! There are a few pavilions surrounding the actual lake that are the perfect place to study. The lake is a perfect view to have for studying! And, it will be a great reminder to of what awaits on the other side of finals week: summer. Lazy days in the sun are just around the corner—what better motivation is there?
Arena
I find this outdoor spot to be a great place to study because right out front there are tables and umbrellas. It’s nice and shady and pretty quiet. The best part, though? The bookstore is right there and there’s a Starbucks in case you need to re-energize!
Good luck this week, UCF!