Best Study Spots

I know most of you wont be worrying about this until later in the year, but I'm going to go ahead and put this up for y'all so that when you need it (during finals when people start sleeping on their cubicles in Lau to reserve them), it's here.

ON CAMPUS

These locations are quick, close, common. You'll get used to working in almost all of them. Trust me. There are also a number of places not on this list, in addition to your own dorm room. Don't let this list be definitive, and explore for new locations.

Dahlgren Medical Library: The medical library is a perfect place for perfect silence (except for the forlorn cries of some poor orgo students cutting their wrists and writing suicide pacts in some of the back corners). This location is so quiet you could hear a pin drop. So if silence is bliss for you, here's your new haunt.

MSB Breakout Rooms: These rooms are teh shit. Just sayin. A nice long table with plugins, your own whiteboard with markers, nice rolly chairs, a TV...and even tech rooms with more useful gadgets and gizmos. You want to get an MSB breakout room. The only problem is, so does the rest of the world. So when that day comes where you HAVE to get a project done, you can't have any distractions, and you wan somewhere to go...wake up really freaking early and find yourself an MSB room. Located on every floor but the entry floor in the MSB, all along the sides, you can't miss 'em. And I couldn't get my photo to upload, so you get this kitty.

ICC Classrooms: A good standard place to find your own home. Somewhat depressing, since you have class in them. All chalk boards, and they turn off the heat at some point in the night...but quiet and spacious.

St. Mary's: The hideout of math majors, CS majors, and nursing students. A number of large quiet cubicles are sometimes available in the third floor math center, along with computer labs on the first and third floors. The third floor has entrance hour restrictions, however. Also home of math tutoring services (free), and when you can get a classroom to work in, they all have whiteboards.

Theological Center: Another location for those in need of silence, the basement of Lau is a good place to be. Cool, quiet, and filled with (moving!) shelves of foreign language theology books, it's a nice place to study. And no, there are not kitties. I just couldn't find any photos for this one, sorry.

New North Basement: A good place to be alone (when the band isn't practicing!). New North's basement has a number of pianos and whiteboards, along with band lockers. And in the earlier parts of the day, when the band isn't around, it's a great place for brainstorming. On the negative, no where near liquid goodness.

MUG/UG/CommonGrounds: If you need a little musical background noise, constant comments, and access to warm goodness, these coffee locations are the place to be. While I tend to stay near these locations instead of in them, many people seem to thrive in the comfy couched atmosphere. Just don't let yourself get *too* distracted.

Okay. I'm tired of kitties. Deal.

Starbucks: Actually, a pretty quiet spot, with even quieter tables outside of the cafe. Located in the Leavey Center. Advantages include drinks and comfy seats; disadvantages are a lack of whiteboards, some noise, a low number of plugins, and closed hours.

Lau floors, as explained by the kind of people on them:

• Basement: Theological center. I demand silence and being alone. Serious students.
• First: Computer Lab. I need a fancy device for my fancy project. Art students.
• Second: Talking floor. I need to talk and feel solidarity with my similarly screwed Hoyas/get absolutely nothing done. Or I just want quick access to coffee and can handle the constant noise of Lau2. Some studiers, a lot of Joe and Jane Hoyas.
• Three: computers, pierce *silent* reading room, a few hard to get tables. "I got a table! I got a table!" "SHUT UP." Serious students.
• Four: some cubicles, some tables, quiet nooks. Quiet, but not too quiet. Serious students; Joe and Janes who realized they really are screwed if they don't do something.
• Five: some tables, some cubicles. Refuge of the silent. If you speak again, I will kill you with this pen. Dangerously screwed students and OCD style quiet people.

Leos: Best place to study, hands down. Noisy during regular meal times, otherwise quiet. "Free" food/drinks (coffee, for those of you who need it). See my post on eating at leos for more leos studying tips.

Carbarn Floor Two: I haven't been here. But I'm told it's a good place to go. Check it out.

Epicurean: Good place for group discussions, where you can talk, use a table, write, eat, and not have to yell to be heard or annoy anyone else. Advantages include nice tables, a good talking atmosphere, and food. Disadvantages include the long walk, difficulty in getting a good window table, and the cost.

Front Lawn / Leavey Esplanade: If you have to go outside, then sit and read in the sun! When the front lawn gets too busy, the Leavey esplanade (grass and trees on the roof!) is a good place to study and enjoy the sunshine.

Yates: Yates can be a good place to study and work out at the same time. Biking or even running while reading is possible, and I've always found recording language vocab on my ipod, and playing it in between tracks, is the way to study at yates.

OFF CAMPUS

There's something about going off campus that helps me focus. Maybe it's getting away from the other hoyas freaking out over finals, maybe it's the peace of cafes, or maybe it's just because it's a unique experience from Lau, but I like going out into the world to study. Be adventurous, try new locations not on this list. But here's some to get you started:

Georgetown Public Library: Quiet study rooms you can sign up for, books that real people read, nice tables, air conditioning, plug ins, access to a number of restaurants to eat in. Disadvantages include occasional noisy kids and limited space.

National Portrait Gallery Courtyard:

Saxby's/Barnes & Noble: Good off campus coffee haunts. Pretty standard. Disadvantages include no plugins at B&N and some people have trouble with the wifi at Saxbys.

Safeway Starbucks: 24 Hour starbucks. The one, the only.

Shanghai Teahouse/Shanghai Lounge/ Harmony: Chinese food restaurants that don't mind you hanging around. Good place to catch up on a little reading while enjoying bubble tea (ST/SL only). The tables are bigger and the food is cheaper at Harmony, which is also closer to GU. But the food is more authentic at the too farther-off locations.

Marvelous Market: Free wifi, I hear. On Wisconsin.