Best Alternative Study Spots on Campus
Yet again exam season has doomed over us all and the battle royale of the dreaded library seats has started. Despite the anti-climactic events and lack of socialising and fun, things can get quite interesting when it comes to stressed, and desperate students trying to grab a revision spot in the library. The trek onto campus in the morning is hard especially for second years and finalists commuting from Leam, where even if you have a car, parking slots become an additional space dash asides from a spot in the library. Luckily while it may be frustrating to see how quickly normal study spots fill up, there are some hidden revision location gems tucked away in different areas of campus you may want to try out next time your regular seat on the fifth floor gets taken.
University house which is just a 6 minute walk from the library has two learning grids, a spacious plaza level and a cafe as well which tends to be much less congested than the library. The open ceiling of the building also allows for more natural sunlight to enter, making revision even slightly better and means you can catch up on the lack of vitamin D from being locked away indoors revising.
The Chaplaincy on campus is another more relaxing and informal area to revise, especially if you are just memorising notes and don’t really need a desk. There are various beanbags which you may be able to lounge on whilst studying, as well as a kitchen with coffee or tea which you can take (you may consider putting in a donation to help the Chaplaincy maintain and replenish their stocks). A spacious table by the window is also available if desk space is needed and overall, it is a good break and change of scenery from the chaotic environment of the library at times.
The oculus is another nice open study area that many students enjoy staying in as opposed to the learning grid or library. Once again this may mainly be due to the more open area and view the large panelled windows lining the front of the building offer. As lectures are no longer running to make way for revision time, sometimes even common lecture and seminar rooms can be booked via the online booking system here, which you could arrange amongst course mates or friends. This gives the privacy and quietness of having a personal study space but also helps motivate you to push on.
Whilst exam period is a very stressful and tiring time, just remember everyone is going through it and you just need to be able to surround yourself with positive supportive peers, get the relevant guidance you need from lecturers regarding any of the exam content and make sure to give yourself some emotional TLC. Best of luck to us all.
