Welcome back to Hoot Recommends! In this issue, we are going to tell you about the best spots to study on campus! With work ramping up and finals season looming ominously over all of us, we all could use some extra time to study. However, the place where you study matters. Noisy roommates, incessant construction or just poor vibes in general can cause you to become less productive than you need to be. Then, before you know it, the deadline is here! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! So to prevent this, here’s our favorite study spots:
Michael: The third floor of the library. Which is weird, since the library floor numbering system goes down backwards. So the third floor is actually the third floor DOWNSTAIRS. It makes no sense! Anyway, this place is quiet (usually), has easy access to bathrooms/water fountains for a quick break, and is usually secluded! However, it’s not perfect, and come finals week, it can get quite crowded.
James: I typically do my homework in my room. However, I find that I tend to be more productive when I’m in the library. So why do I not get all of my work done at the library? Because it’s so far away. My dorm is in the Charles River Apartments. It’s not really worth walking 20 minutes each way just for a slight boost in productivity, especially if I only have a small amount of work. However, when I do make the hike to the library, I tend to do my work on the second floor, at the desks in the back.
Chloe: I tend to save the real study spots for times of desperation, allowing them to retain their power to force me into a state of productivity when times are dire. When times do become unfortunate, I prefer to study in SIMS at the little round table. If I am feeling too lazy to leave my dorm building, I’ll scrap and fight for one of the three study rooms in Skyline; that is, if they aren’t a billion degrees. If they are hot as hell, I will usually sit at the benches outside of Skyline; the view is unbeatable.
Ethan: I figured out pretty quickly that trying to do work in my room next to a very enticing bed would not serve my two a.m. crunches very well. The general-purpose computer area in Goldfarb 1 is my go-to space for long work hours, and I find that having a dedicated space for work far away from my dorm discourages giving up early. I also like sitting in Farber nearby if I’m meeting with somebody else, as having easy access to coffee can rescue a rough day every now and then.
Jason: The SCC remains one of my favorite buildings on campus, and I think if you start studying early enough, it’s possible to find a room that’s not booked. Getting together with a group of friends to book a room and just plant yourself for a while is one of my favorite activities during busy exam seasons or when I just need to get work done. Before the SCC game room was the SCC game room, it was the second floor of the SCC library, and that’s definitely where I spent the majority of my study sessions during freshman year. Even outside the SCC, bookable rooms for weekend grind sessions are available in the library as well. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can find an open classroom in one of the academic buildings after hours. Recently, though, they started locking the classrooms in the SCC when there aren’t club bookings, which really, really sucks. With the loss of the SCC library’s second floor and now this, I’m just not sure I can take this … 🙁
Jenna: I don’t like spontaneous interactions with people I know, while in my most dire of moments, cramming assignments, so I usually avoid leaving my room to do work. I think a big part of picking a study spot, at least for me, depends on the type of assignment you are doing. For example, if I have a paper due for an English class, I find it really hard to think about what words to write when there are 100 conversations going on around me. If it’s just a simple reading assignment, Moodle post, or some other creative project, I don’t mind being around other people. Also, I’m a big yapper, as the kids say, so some people don’t like to study in my vicinity if they can’t talk and work at the same time … so I guess I’m a group space menace of sorts. This is all to say that I like a little noise and people watching, but not that much. To finally actually answer the question, if I have a group project or am meeting a new friend that I don’t want to invite to my ridge in case things go south (if you know you know), then I usually opt for a table in the SCC atrium by the big window—easy snack access, high visibility and nature viewing and easy escape routes.
Eva: I’m a big fan of the tables in the front hall in Skyline. They’re not too far from my room, and have both charger space and comfortable (ish) chairs! I like being able to watch the sun set (and totally not also rise) through the giant windows. Being close to my room, I can also grab anything I forgot. I’ve gotten my best work done there … just don’t question how late I’ve stayed up to do it!
