Rating Study Spaces on Campus

Krishna, our other Liberal Arts student blogger, has recently made a post about her favourite places to study on campus. Since everyone is different, and exam season is upon us, I thought I’d give my take on this and share my rating of places to work on campus right now.

1. Library (7/10) – This is, in my opinion, by far the most popular place to come. Or at least that’s how it seems given how busy it is! I usually aim to get here at 8-8:30 in the morning, when it’s pretty quiet. It starts to get busier after 9:30/10 usually, and by the end of the day floor 5 (where I work) is usually full. I like working here because it’s quiet and seeing everyone else working motivates me. However, it can get a bit overwhelmingly busy, and you have to walk to Pret and Rootes for coffee and snacks.
2. F.A.B (6/10) – The new Faculty of Arts building is great because it has so many different workspaces, from open area tables to seminar rooms and sofas. I worked here a lot during term 1 and 2 (specifically on floor 2, it became a running joke that I was always there…) however, now I find it a bit too busy for working. Although there is a Cafe Nero downstairs (coffee and food!), this building also gets quite busy and because it hasn’t got the same noise restrictions as the library, it can get quite loud and distracting. Also, I find I see my friends a lot in there, and will always stop and talk to them (zero self control).
3. The Oculus (5/10) – Although I haven’t worked here since term 1, I still think it’s a fairly good space. However, the choice of seats isn’t always the best – either you sit on the sofas (way too comfy – fall asleep ASAP), or on the benches facing the windows (great for people-watching, not always the comfiest). If seminar rooms are free, you can use those as well, but since anyone can use them you may end up sharing with people who are looking for different things from the space (e.g. they talk to their friends more, but you want to work quietly). It’s a good distance from Rootes and Pret, so taking a break from work to walk there is nice.

No matter what you’re looking for, one thing is certain – there will be somewhere on campus which caters to your needs when it comes to studying. I like being able to work somewhere quiet, preferably a decent distance away from coffee and food outlets so that I can take breaks to go for a walk. I generally find that study spaces are quieter early in the morning (students who don’t wake up early??? shock.), which is when I work best personally, but depending on what time you work best, you may need to choose a study space which accommodates this.