Well guys, we're
really getting down to the nitty gritty of the semester and studying for finals
has already begun. Although my official finals week is next week, I also have a
final later on this week. *cue the anxiety* (p.s. here are some tips to help you tackle the end of the semester)
One thing I've
noticed after my past few semesters in college is that the main university
library can be absolutely INSANE during and around finals week. This can be a
major problem. Unless you get to the library before the crack of dawn, it can
be extremely difficult to find a seat, let alone a quiet space to study. And,
if you frequent the library a lot during the semester, odds are you're going to
be slightly annoyed to find randos you've never seen at the library before in
"your" favorite spot at the library.
So how to avoid the
library crowds during finals week and find a not-so-frequented place to study?
I've got you covered. Here are 6 places other than the library to take
advantage of and study at during finals week:
- Non-chain coffee shops
Non-chain
coffee shops can be some of the best places to study at, but I guess it depends
on what the town or city is like where you go to school. I love the
hipster/creative vibes that non-chain coffee shops and cafes have to offer, and
since my university is nestled into a city, there are multiple different coffee
shops around. A couple girls on my floor last year found a great one to study
at, one that doesn't get too crowded. The coffee shop they found also has very nice
owners, who even kept refilling their coffee. My friend and I plan on going
there this week to study. So maybe you can do a little internet search and find
some coffee shops somewhat close to your university, and then maybe you too will end
up finding a hidden gem of a study spot.
- Classrooms
There
aren't any classes during finals week, so what does that mean? Empty
classrooms! So if you have any classrooms you like in particular, maybe stop
over there with a couple of friends and study there. At my business school,
they keep a number of classrooms empty for students to study in, and the
buildings even close later during finals week than usual.
- Other "colleges" at your school (aka law school, school of architecture, business school, physics building, etc)
Do
you have friends who are in different majors than you, that talk about their
favorite places to study within their major buildings? If so, go ahead and
check them out! And you don't even need any friends in a certain school to
study there. Last year my dorm was right next to the law school, and I found it
to be a great place to study. Since a lot of the graduate law students lived
off campus and just studied at home, the law school library was never crowded.
Plus it was absolutely silent, something that I often need in order to study
things that are hard concentrate on. I've also studied at my school's
architecture school before, which has a great rooftop garden. So if you want,
maybe try another "college" building on campus outside of your major.
Some might be more crowded that others (i.e. I've noticed that the engineering
buildings are always packed), but others won't be, so feel free to give a
building you wouldn't normally go to a chance.
- The tutoring rooms
On
my campus, there are several tutoring rooms and buildings on campus for
different majors and classes. I'm sure that other schools have similar types of
tutoring centers too. Tutoring rooms can be a nice place to study at since if
you need to ask a question on some of the material before the exam, you'll be
able to ask it right there which is pretty convenient.
- The gym
So
I don't know if it's like this at all universities, but at my university's main
gym, there's a lower level part of the gym that has a bunch of tables and
chairs with lots of natural lighting around. I've seen some people there
studying, but I think most people forget that it's there. I studied there a
couple of times last semester, and it's definitely one of those hidden gem
study spots. Plus, just think: maybe you can even sneak in workout afterwards
:)
- Outside!
Now
that it's the middle of April, the weather is definitely starting to warm up.
If you want to get some fresh air while studying, I'm sure there's picnic
tables or grassy areas at your college campus where you can sit yourself down
and study at. My school has a grassy quad shaped like an oval in the middle of
campus that we all call "Oval Beach" when the weather gets warmer.
Once the weather gets nicer, many people start studying outside at the picnic
tables in the quad area or set up picnic blankets to study at (and/or tan at :)
).
I
hope that this list of other places to study than the main library gives you
some ideas of places to study at your college campus!
Where
are some of your favorite places to study during finals week?
