By Dana Race
This week, I came across the concept of “study crawling” while trying to find motivation for the midterm season. The essence of this concept is to hit all your favorite study spots across campus in a single day. Intrigued, I embarked on a study crawl of my own through UVM’s campus.
My crawl began at 9 a.m., where I first hit Henderson’s Cafe and got a caramel iced latte to get some much-needed energy. I then headed to the SGA room on the third floor of the Davis Center to make my to-do list and get some easy assignments out of the way. I love coming here in the mornings before campus gets busy. They have comfortable booth seats, and it’s usually quiet in the mornings.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. I had to attend class, so my crawl was interrupted. During this time, I tried to devise my plan for the remainder of my crawl.
By 1 p.m., I was quite hungry, so I stopped at the Given Bistro for a spicy Italian sandwich with carrots and chips. I love coming here for a quick bite when I’m on campus. Their sandwiches are delicious and budget-friendly. While eating, I sat in their dining area and studied flashcards for my upcoming exam.
At 2 p.m., I found my way to the Dana Medical Library to prepare for my upcoming exam. I relaxed in one of their cozy pod chairs and used their convenient mobile whiteboards. This library has the ideal setting for focused study sessions, making it a big part of my college journey. It’s quiet, has minimal distractions, and has plenty of diverse seating.
By 3:30 p.m., fatigue was starting to set in. Seeking a pick-me-up, I went to Cat Pause for an energy drink and fresh air. I then headed to the Aiken Center Solarium, where lush tropical plants surrounded me. This room is beautiful, calming, and a wonderful place to spend time during Vermont’s cold winters. While there, I continued to prepare for my upcoming exam and worked on some assignments. I planned on hitting one last study location, but I ended up enjoying my time in the solarium so much that I decided to stay until 6 p.m..
I found this study crawl to be a refreshing and exciting approach to tackling a long to-do list. However, the interruption of my 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. classes was a minor inconvenience that slightly lowered my enthusiasm for studying. In the future, I would consider scheduling study crawls on days I don’t have classes to attend. I would definitely recommend study crawling to anyone seeking a new study technique. This experience made me excited to linger on campus and delve into my coursework.