A FAB End to 5 Years at Warwick: A Postgrad’s Take

As Term 3 arrives, marking the beginnings of the exam season, you might find yourself searching for your perfect study spot on campus. With so many places to choose from, you might be overwhelmed by choice. But, as I approach my fifth exam season as a Warwick student, I’ll be choosing the FAB as my top study spot, and here’s why…

Study Spots Galore!

Over the past few years, I have done a huge amount of reflection on things that have boosted, and hindered, my productivity when working on assignments or studying for exams. One of the biggest factors that has affected my concentration is the environment I’m working in. While students are often encouraged to find one spot that works for you and stick with it, I’ve found this to be rather ineffective for my productivity. While I might find a spot I like, I quickly become tired of the same surroundings, and my motivation follows suit. Switching things up has been a vital part of my study routine, and the FAB offers the potential for this, without having to leave the doors! The building has been wonderfully designed with all kinds of nooks and crannies for you to choose. In fact, I’ve found it hugely exciting to wander around each morning and discover a new study spot; the main character syndrome is strong.

Solving Term 3’s Chaos

The last two years have seen campus be unusually quiet during the exam season, as everyone switched to online working and study spaces closed during the pandemic. But back in 2019, the last exam season before COVID, term 3 would incite warfare across campus, with students battling for one thing: study spaces. For my first two years at Warwick, the library was inundated with students every day of exam season, with many leaving home in the early hours of the morning, desperate to bag a seat on campus. The FAB provides not only incredible lecture spaces, but also offers a huge increase in the number of study spots on campus. I’m really hoping that this eases the term 3 congestion and it’s definitely a huge benefit to students, who, like me, want to study on campus during the exam season without setting a painfully early alarm.

Group-Work Spaces

So, you might have guessed by now that I love the study spots the FAB offers… but I haven’t even started talking about the group work spaces! Online group work became hugely popular during the pandemic, and the FAB is making this a lot easier to translate this into in-person collaboration. With large tables, the ability to view room bookings next to the doors, and a perfect environment for work-related discussion, the FAB is a great place to grab a coffee and work on that PowerPoint you and your group have been working on!

Need a Printer? You Got It.

While this might not be the most exciting point, it’s definitely the most practical for me. Printing, as it is for many students, has been the bane of my academic life. There’s nothing worse than having to print out a 20-page essay on Floor 3, and feeling like you’re hogging the printer, or disturbing the concentration of everyone working silently around you. Throughout the 5 years I’ve been here, there have been countless times that I’ve found myself running around campus trying to find a printer, which isn’t rammed with students, in a silent study area, or in an inconvenient corner of campus. The printer section of the FAB strikes the perfect balance between being tucked away from study spaces and being easily accessible. It’s definitely left me breathing a sigh of relief as I start to write my master’s dissertation.

A Long Time Coming…

When I came to Warwick in 2017, as a large car park stared back at the brand-new Oculus building, there were murmurs of the future arts building, and how incredible it would be. The FAB has been in the works for the whole of my Warwick experience, and seeing it finally open its doors has been the perfect way to round up what has been an amazing 5 years at this university. I’m extremely excited for all the current and future students, who can continue to use and benefit from this astounding addition to our campus… and I’ll definitely be coming back to visit it after I graduate.