Students often have a difficult time finding where they can perform perhaps the most important activity linked to achieving success - study.
One of the challenges to finding a good spot to study is linked to students having different preferences. Some of the more obvious study spots are libraries, where reserving a study room could be a good option.
The Zimmerman, Parish and Centennial libraries are spread out throughout the main campus and provide great resources, but a few students shared some potentially underrated places students might want to try.
Jeff Keithley, a computer science major, said one of the best study spots he has found is in the Collaborative Teaching and Learning Building.
The building, located just east of the Duck Pond near Anderson School of Management, is a three-story building with an Einstein’s Bagels just inside the entrance.
“If you go to the second or third floor, and then go all the way in the back, they have boards and there’s usually not a lot of people in there,” Keithley said.
He said he also enjoys studying at another three-story location: Dane Smith Hall. Dane Smith, home to classes from a blend of fields during the semester, has masses of people filing in and out of the building during the day, so noise could be an issue for some, but for others it may be welcoming white noise.
Chenoa Sanchez, a junior psychology major, said she also enjoys studying at Dane Smith for that very reason.
“I like it because it gives me a little bit of a distraction if I want to look up and just people watch,” she said.
Sanchez said she said can allow people to give her a quick distraction before refocusing, which is a lot better than pulling out her phone and getting sucked in to something on social media.
She also said she is a fan of studying outdoors. Sanchez frequents the Duck Pond as well as the patio area near the Education Classrooms building, nestled east of Zimmerman near the Kiva.
Sanchez said the Science & Mathematics Learning Center is also a prime spot because it has lots of good light and a great coffee machine. She said there is a nice area off to the right after using the east entrance that is usually pretty quiet.
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However, she doesn’t like too much silence. She said places like Zimmerman are actually too quiet for her to remain focused.
Lea Casper, a freshman general engineering major, prefers the silence.
Casper said she likes to study inside the Education Classrooms building, which is easily recognizable by its décor.
“It has the pretty glass wall with different colors and couches,” Casper said. “They have teachers in the center, so it’s always silent. It’s very quiet and I can focus on my work.”
She said she also utilizes the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building, which is right next to Centennial Library, for a couple of reasons. Casper said nobody makes much noise and the wi-fi is always reliable.
Sanchez said her advice to new students is to try out multiple places until they find a place that is comfortable. She said she has learned that more comfort leads to more learning.
She said sometimes her mood dictated where she wanted to study, so having a few places might also be a good idea just in case.
After nailing down a good place to study, students can then focus on the next big decision - whether to study alone or with a group of friends.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football, cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
