Dear First-years,

Finals are coming up fast. You might be stressed out, busy, and even worse‒you might be really sick of your roommate, and now you’re avoiding your dorm and have no place to study. Have no fear, dear first-years, this happens to the best of us. Here are my top five favorite places to study when you don’t want to be in your room.

1. The Anderson Atrium

I love this space. It’s light, usually pretty quiet, and really fancy looking. Go here for the comfy chairs and all of the windows. You’ll be inspired by the teal-blue walls and the high ceilings. I go here most often for making study guides or writing essays.

2. Third floor of the library, in the very back corner

This is the best space to go if you need complete and total silence. I go here if there’s something I need to read really closely. Bonus: if you cry in the library (which I have) no one really notices or seems to care.

3. The Arb, preferably in a hammock

On a nice, warm sunny day, the arb is the best place to study. The gently rustling wind and the birds in the trees create the perfect environment to curl up with a book or to study for a test. And if you don’t have a hammock, you can either bring a blanket and spread it out on the ground or purchase a cheap hammock (they’re only like $20!).

4. The Courtyard Café

This is my go-to studying spot. There’s caffeine, along with just enough background noise so I don’t fall asleep but not so much that I get distracted. Also, I recently saw a guy napping on one of the tables (he was honestly sleeping for like an hour) and no one woke him up or disturbed him, so it’s a good place for that, too. I usually go to the Courtyard to get a lot of work done in a short period of time.

5. The Caf

Sure, the Caf can be pretty noisy, but if you pop your earbuds in, it’s a great place to go. There are a lot of windows, food (so you don’t get hungry), and if you get really bored you can take a break and play the piano. I go here most often for writing papers.

Good Luck on Finals!

-Marie