It's exam time - where will you study?

By: Editorial Board

Posted: 12/2/08

On average, how much time do you spend looking for a place to sit in the library, only to find a table next to a group of whiny girls instant messaging each other? Not exactly the best atmosphere for a night of cramming for exams.

While the library is the obvious place to go study, students should also realize there are other great places on campus to get some work done such as the UC Cafes, Student Union, residence halls, study lounges and dining halls. Students should also know their own study habits. If you're going with a group and you'll probably be talking, try to sit in Bookworms or the Student Union food court. If you can't study with noise, find a quiet area in the library. Study rooms and dining halls are great places to go if you want to stay close to home and don't mind some noise.

The library should be an area designated for mostly quiet study, especially during exam time. Students should be respectful of each other and try not to be rude. If you're meeting with a group at the library and need to discuss some class material, there are private study rooms available so others are not distracted.

The UC Cafes are great places to study. With several spread all over campus, some are well as well known as Bookworms and usually very quiet. Lu's Café in the Family Studies building is one of the smaller cafés, but provides a comfortable place to study during the day. Up and Atom is another café in the Physics building that many people in that area don't know of. Students who can study with some background chatter should find the cafes great places to study. Also, easy access to food is a perk.

Most students also don't realize how convenient the study lounges in each dorm are. For students who find it difficult to focus in their room, but don't want to venture out in the cold to go some place else, study lounges are a great commodity.

Dining halls and the Student Union are other great study areas. While they are usually quite loud, some dining halls such as Whitney and McMahon quiet down later in the day, and Buckley and Northwest are open late. There are also many places to go in the Union that are much quieter than the food court.

So during this time of finals, try to find yourself the right place to study. If you need to study in quiet areas, go to the library. If you're going to be talking to friends while studying, meet in the cafés or the Student Union. Just remember to be conscious of other students around you so everyone can find a place to study efficiently.