Penn State has so much to offer, but at
the end of the day classes need to come first, so studying is a must. You
will learn pretty quickly that studying for college is very different from high
school. For starters, you have a whole campus available to you.
Everyone has different preferences and requirements when it comes to study
spots, so it's a good idea to start exploring early on and find out what
environments make you the most productive. Let's explore the usual places
people do work!
1. Your dorm room
Dorm rooms are very convenient places to
do work. Your textbooks and papers will already be there, and there's no
long walk home at the end of the day - plus, you'll never have to worry about
finding an available space like you would at the library. However, dorm
rooms can have many distractions and it may be tough to focus. Depending
on your floor, dorms can also get pretty loud. You may also want to keep
the place where you work and where you relax separate.
Another thing to consider is
roommates. If you are studying late at night, the light from desk
lamps and the constant turning of book pages may keep your roommate up as
they try to sleep - this is a good thing to talk to them about in the first few
weeks. If you don't feel like venturing too far from your bedroom, you
may want to try a…
2. Dorm building common room
These rooms can be located on your floor
or the ground floor of buildings. These rooms range from really crowded
to rarely used, which can be good or bad depending on the level of noise you
can handle while studying. They usually aren't exclusively used by
studiers, either, so you could run into other students just hanging out or
having fun.
But, if you need a break from being in
your room all day, common rooms are close and convenient places to move to, and
if you realize you forgot something in your room, you can quickly head
back. They also make good places for group study, especially with other
people on your floor.
3. Outside
When the weather is nice, many a Penn
Stater can be seen under the sun, stretched out along the grass. Studying
outside is a really good way to get some fresh air and get some work
done. If it's earlier in the day, watch out for dewy grass and maybe
bring a blanket or towel. Finding someplace like a picnic table or a
bench is nice too, but if it's been rainy lately, watch out for wet surfaces.
4. Commons building
Penn State has five different commons
buildings, each located by a hall complex: Pollock Commons (Pollock Halls),
Findlay Commons (East Halls), Warnock Commons (North Halls), Redifer Commons
(South Halls), and Waring Commons (West Halls). The beauty of the commons
buildings is that they are spread around all the different corners of campus,
and while you're there, food is never far away. Each building has
different lounges where you are free to bring your stuff and start
studying.
5. Computer Labs
Computer labs are a great place to go if
you need to work on a computer but find your laptop too distracting. They
also have a lot of resources, like powerful software, printers, scanners and
lab consultants. Both West and East commons have large computer labs with
computers often available - plus, they're open 24/7! You can also find
computer labs hidden in different buildings, like Willard or Boucke (those two
labs are really great if you have some downtime between classes, although they
can get really packed between 10-2. But, they're practically deserted on
the weekends). For a full list, go to this link:
Here you can view the different labs and
their availability. Make sure it says "Open Lab" or else there
could be a class in there, which means you can't use the computers.
6. The HUB
The HUB is a good location for studying due
to its central location and high energy. If you don't mind the noise,
find a comfy chair or an empty spot at a table. There's food all around
in case you get hungry. Also, there is a silent study lounge on the west
side of the building, by the auditorium and art. It can get crowded but
is very quiet.
7. Empty classrooms
Empty classrooms can sometimes be a
gamble if you don't know if a class or club has the room reserved.
However, you'll get a lot of empty space and a white or black board to write
your ideas on. Empty classrooms are also great for group studying.
Hammond and Willard usually have many unlocked classrooms open for you to use.
8. Libraries
Libraries are a great place to do
work. There are many helpful resources, like books, computers and rooms
that can be reserved for group work. They can get very crowded, especially
as the semester rolls on, and sometimes empty computers can be impossible to
find (but you shouldn't have trouble on the off hours).
I like the Pattee and Paterno Libraries
because they are connected and have many different wings to them. In addition,
MacKinnon's Cafe is located on the ground floor of Pattee and has food and
drinks until 10
p.m.
Other libraries to consider visiting are
the Engineering Library (3rd floor Hammond) and the Earth and Mineral Science
Library (105 Deike). Check out the different library hours here:
9. Cafés/coffee shops
If you're itching to get off campus,
another good place to study is a cafe or coffee shop. Popular places
include Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts on College Ave, and Webster's Cafe on
Beaver Ave. A quick walk down College and Beaver will reveal many other
good cafes to get work done.
--
I just gave you a lot of ideas of where
you can study, but you likely don't know yet what types of study locations even
work best for you. So get out there and start testing which places make
you productive! It's going to take some trial and error, but pretty soon
you'll have some favorite study spots all around campus.
Molly Basile is a junior in Computer Science, and she is a mentor for WEPO '14!
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