Study week and finals are here! Inevitably, this means that every crevice in the library and usual study spots are filled with students, laptops, and textbooks. What should you do if you want (need) to study, but can’t find room? Check out these 5 little considered / obscure spots to hit the books:
- PSB (Physical Sciences Building)- We all know about the atrium area and Goldie’s Cafe, but have you visited the 2nd floor? Upstairs is the Edna McConnell Clark Library, a book-less library that serves as a 24/7 quite study space (much like the Carpenter Library on the Engineering Quad). If you go further into PSB, past the hallways of research labs, there are also study tables on each floor. My personal favorite is the 3 table nook beside the AEP Student Lounge. It has the perfect atmosphere (quite) and amenities (ample workspace, outlets, and a heater for cold, wintry days) without being in an actual library.
To the left of this picture is the Edna McConnell Clark Library.
My favorite place to study during freshman year.
- The Stacks- The most famous stacks is the Olin Library stacks, which are pretty full these days. A less crowded alternative is the Uris Library Stacks, which can be accessed from a set of stairs adjunct to the Circulation Desk inside the Uris fish bowl. I only recently learned about these after a failed attempt to find room in the all-packed 7th floor of Olin. While each desk in the Olin Stacks is technically assigned to a graduate student (who can kick you out of their spot at any time), the Uris desks are owner-less, which means first-come, first-served. Each desk also comes with a locker on top, so you can really set up shop. The only downside is that internet signals are not the greatest here.
7th Floor Olin was all packed.
Thankfully the Uris Stacks had room.
- Empty Classrooms- Since these are usually full because of class, they’d be empty since there are no more classes, right? The Goldwin Smith classrooms are the most popular, but try your hand at more obscure buildings such as those in Hollister Hall (has a great view with huge windows) and Kennedy Hall (many windows with natural lighting). My favorite is Phillips 101 which seems counter-intuitive since it’s such a popular lecture room; most people never seem to think of it as a study spot, however, so it’s generally empty.
Phillips 101
Kennedy classroom
- Sibley Dome- I like studying in places with tall ceilings because I feel more able to expand my thoughts and be less confined. For its height, architecture, and the fact that it’s also open 24/7, since “architects never sleep,” I absolutely love the dome. Extra monitors line the middle of the room, allowing you to hook up your laptop for dual-screen productivity. (No actual processors, though.) The chairs and tables are minimalist in design and are at the perfect height. When you look up, you can always be inspired by canvases of student projects on the walls or the half-naked sculpture. :O
Sibley Dome – one of my favorite places
- West Campus Nooks- Perhaps it’s because most people are out studying at the libraries, but the study spaces in the West Campus Houses are generally not as filled. For the main (new) houses, each floor has at least 2 “nooks” – a table and some chairs – that are open to all residents. If you can get into one of the houses and floors during open hours (before dinner), you’re likely to find a solid place to study.
This photos is from freshman year, when a friend and I snuck into one of the study nooks in Cook House.
What do you guys think? Are these good places to study? Comment below with your favorite uncrowded place to study, and hopefully these spots won’t become obsolete!
