Top Five Places to Pretend to Study

I get it, I really do. To fully grasp the college experience, there are some things that are required of you. For years you’ve dreamed of coming to your college campus, spreading out all of your college textbooks on one of those fancy college tables, and getting no college work done whatsoever. I mean, what is the point of learning new terms for finals if no one is there to see it? Well, I’ve taken it upon myself to give you a new list of places and hidden gems to get you started in procrastinating in someplace new. Who knows - if you switch up places a few times, you might even study a little.

1. Lied Library (LIED) [Silent Study / Fifth Floor]

We know this building, we visit this building, we call this building home. What better place is there to study? You can look like every college student in a brochure pamphlet when you claim a table for your endeavors. If you explore past the third, fourth, and fifth floors, there are special areas marked off for those who are serious about having peace and quiet. Called the “Silent Study,” these rooms are soundproofed from the outside and are deathly quiet on the inside. It’s so quiet that if you listen closely enough, you can hear heartbeats, a pin drop, or Cardi B through an annoying person’s headphones.

2. Thomas T. Beam Engineering Complex - Building A (TBE-A) [Airplane Study] A really cool place that not many people know about is the engineering building’s study room. What makes this room a hidden gem is that up above, high in the ceiling, there is a suspended H-1 racing airplane. This full-scale replica left to us by reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes hangs down aesthetically from the ceiling. Not many people come here because they assume that this building is exclusive, but this room is open to all majors. If the thought of a huge airplane potentially crashing down on you doesn’t scare you, this is the perfect place to take a crack at that 10-page English paper.

3. Architecture Library (ARC) [2nd Floor]

All the way down at the southernmost point, this library acts as a classroom building. Used by mostly the Architecture students and a few Film majors, like myself, this building is rarely used by other students. On the second floor, there are personal desks and whiteboards that are free for anyone to use. But don’t try to stay too late, this library closes at 8 p.m. most days. If you have time for a break from your last-minute procrastinating, I recommend checking out the scale models that periodically make an appearance on the ground floor. They’re made by restless students, just like you.

4. John S. Wright Hall (WRI) [Rooftop]

This building is home-sweet-home to the Anthropology, History, and Political Science departments. But very few know, high up and secluded, is not only an outdoor patio and eating area, but also a great view of our school. From the patio, you can see both the Student Union and the Flora Dungan Humanities Building. On this rooftop, there are plenty of patio-style umbrella tables for you to choose from. If you like sunshine and a picnic-like area, this is the best place to sit down and study. Of course, by study, I really mean scroll through Instagram for a few hours.

5. Law Building (RLL) [Connection Hallway]

This area is a bit harder to get into. Once you enter the English or Honors college building, head to the second floor and enter one of the two doors. You’ll end up in the isolated study hallway. This hallway connects the English building with the Law building and is the perfect place to sit down, pull out all your textbooks, and scroll through Facebook. Multiple tables, chairs, and couches litter the hallway. It also houses some nice windows to flood areas with natural light that can keep you awake through the toughest of cram sessions. One tip for you: some days the Law building uses this hallway to host special guest and events, so it might be closed to the public.

Something that will always be a part of the college experience is studying. How efficiently you study, and where you study is up to you. There are plenty of areas that are open for students to use. However, I hope this list is a big help when you finally make a commitment to sit down and SLEEP- er, uh, I mean study…