Placid study places abound

nicole11@unm.edu

Trying to reserve a study room in Zimmerman during finals week is about as difficult as registering for classes when LoboWeb crashes. But quiet places to study are closer than you think. The Daily Lobo compiled a list of quiet, vacant places to hit the books, so you can avoid the mad dash for stinky basement cubicles in the library.

Indoors:

Greenhouse Conservatory
The greenhouse conservatory in Castetter Hall is filled with plants with names such as “Hottentot’s Bread” and “Giant Toad Plant.” Nobody ever seems to occupy the 10 seats amid the ceiling-high vines and trees. The whimsical plant names are enough to put you in a better mood. The greenhouse conservatory is in room 21 near the main entrance and is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Science & Math Learning Center
The Science and Math Learning Center is one of UNM’s newest buildings and doesn’t seem to have acquired a lot of student traffic. Maybe you can get some of the science and math students to help you out with your more difficult assignments. At least you don’t have to worry about finding moldy Cheetos in the cracks of the couches. The building is west of Mitchell Hall and north of the Anthropology Annex and the Centennial Science and Engineering Library.

Near a watering hole:

You can’t hear yourself talk, let alone think or even find a seat at the Satellite on Central Avenue and Harvard Drive. But there’s never a line at the Satellite in the UNM Bookstore, and the little round tables are usually vacant. If not, you can always hide behind the bookshelves or racks of Lobo gear — as long as you don’t spill your coffee everywhere.

The Lobo Garden
The Lobo Garden next to the Real Estate Department at Vassar Drive and Campus Boulevard has the most space of any of the gardens and is set away from the hubbub of main campus. Maybe you can nibble on a few veggies as you pore over your books. It feels like a minifarm in the middle of Albuquerque, the perfect getaway.

Grassy Spot
It’s hard to say where the most luscious grass on campus can be found, but the area between Sara Reynolds Hall and the Communication and Journalism Building is certainly up there. The area is fairly quiet, shaded by large pines and home to many dandelions. Maybe if you wish your finals away, they will disappear like those fluffy white seeds — but don’t count on it.