Your Reading Week Round-Up: Study Spots

Are you deep in the trenches as finals loom closer and closer? Are you dreading the month’s worth of lectures that you have to watch in 24 hours? Same, bestie. What better way to feel better about yourself than to meander over to a different study spot and get a change of scenery? Your roommate will thank you for leaving the room for the first time in a week. Trust me. Without further ado, here is a round up and rating of classic study spots around campus.

Smith Campus Center, 10th Floor

This is arguably my favorite spot to study with my roommate this semester. When you come during the less busy hours, like weekday evenings, there’s so many couches to lounge on and, of course, lo-fi music to listen to. Most recently, they were playing a lo-fi mix of K-Pop songs — shoutout to the Smith playlist gods. When you’re looking to catch up on those months worth of Stat lectures (I’m not even kidding, please send help), this is a perfect place to do it.

Comfort: 4/5

Volume: 3/5

Workability: 4/5

Activity: Depends on the day and time

LISE, Buckminster’s Cafe

A hidden study spot that I discovered deep into my freshman year is Buckminster’s Cafe in the LISE building (behind the Science Center). Not only is there a Peet’s Coffee that accepts BoardPlus (unless you already spent all of it, like my roommate), but there’s plenty of seating. Don’t let the crowdedness of the first floor fool you — there’s more seating on the second floor, which overlooks the first floor cafe (perfect for people watching).

Comfort: 2/5

Volume: 4/5

Workability: 4/5

Activity: Busiest right after morning classes

Widener Phillips Reading Room

Overheard: “People who actually like working in Widener are friends with the voices in their head.” If you’re too intimidated to go into the main reading room because you have a perpetual fear of your hydroflask dropping and everyone death-glaring at you, consider going to the side reading room on the first floor. You can still enjoy the ~light academia vibes~ without the death glares.

Comfort: 2/5, but it’s aesthetic

Volume: 1/5

Workability: 4/5

Activity: 2/5, surprisingly

Lamont Second Floor Booths

Nothing will beat the night I bought a Celsius and a pack of Twin Snake gummies from CVS and marched over to Lamont at midnight to grind out my work. IDK what they put in the Lamont air, but I am a psetting-essay-writing-lecture-watching beast in Lamont second floor. Warning: beware of the awkward eye contact you make with the people walking to the bathrooms.

Comfort: 3/5

Volume: 1/5

Workability: 100000/5

Activity: 3.5/5

LamCaf

If you want to be ~perceived~ by other people as you work, this is the perfect place. The wide windows are perfect for you and passing tourists to have staring contests, and the layout of the tables ensures that people can sneak a look at your screen. Lamont Cafe, endearingly nicknamed “LamCaf,” is splendid for romanticizing your study session. IMO, the best place for a meet-cute or to have a study date <3.

Comfort: 3/5

Volume: 3/5

Workability: 3/5

Activity: 3/5

Boylston Ticknor Lounge

I remember having my little-mouse-moment here last year after grabbing sushi from the SEC. Featuring couches that sink way lower than you expect them to and people who weirdly stare at you when you enter, Ticknor is great for group gatherings or solo study sessions. Also great for taking meetings!

Comfort: ?/5, I cannot decide if the couches are actually comfortable when they’re trying to swallow me whole

Volume: 2.5/5

Workability: 4/5

Activity: 2/5

Honorable Mention: Blue Bottle

When you’re feeling like you need a bit more motivation to study, head over to Blue Bottle Coffee, conveniently located in the Square. Sip on your matcha latte (that you definitely spent too much money on) as you waste your time admiring how aesthetic you look to the passing people on the sidewalk. Will you get work done? I cannot guarantee that. I can guarantee that you will gaslight yourself into thinking that you accomplished more than you actually did, though.

Comfort: 3/5

Volume: Depends on time of day

Workability: 10/5, if you convince yourself

Activity: 3/5

Good luck on your finals, y’all got this. Touch some grass, breathe in the fresh air, and try out some new (or old and classic) study spots to complement mental pain as you try to teach yourself Markov Chains for the thousandth time in a row. Virtually sending everyone a million functioning brain cells <3.