The nooks and crannies of USU
As finals start rearing their ugly heads, students begin the arduous last round of studies. Several students said the best places to study on campus are usually in the locations where they get the least amount of traffic.
“I do most of my studying on campus. It’s convenient and close to home,” said Michael Otteson, a senior in history, philosophy and religious studies.
Matt Fife, a junior history student, said although he has studied off campus at Cafe Ibis, Starbucks and Hastings, the small tables make it harder to study there, particularly when studying with a group of friends.
Many students agree that finding a place alone is one of the best study tips. Fife was hesitant to reveal his favorite place of study, because he likes the presence of only a few people.
“I can’t study in halls because I people watch and can’t get any homework done,” said Nick Lee, a sophomore in mechanical engineering.
Lee said though he prefers to study by a window, if he has to study for a couple of hours, a basement is best because he doesn’t notice the hours passing.
Lauren Brown, a sophomore in radiology, was discovered studying in the basement of the library at the desks located on the south end. Brown said she likes that there are so few students studying in the basement. She values the seclusion this gives. But she said the basement has other advantages.
“I study better at night and I feel like it is darker down here,” Brown said.
Many campus buildings have areas with couches and tables. The basement of Old Main, where the Honors office is located, not only has couches and tables, but also vending machines and a microwave. Accounting sophomore Kaila Dunn said the business building also has a nice basement to study in.
“I like to study in the business building basement because it is less trafficked. Makes for a nice, quiet study on the couches,” Dunn said.
Fife said many buildings have lounge areas to study. One he discovered is on the third floor the engineering building. Because many buildings do have areas with couches, if traditional study locations have suddenly become infused with newcomers, exploring a new building on campus may be the answer.
Now that it is spring, an alternative to sequestered basements can be found in the great outdoors. Megan Hurst, a junior in international studies, said she likes spring semester because she can finally study outside.
“I like to study in Adam’s Park. If I need the Internet I choose the Quad,” Hurst said. Although Hurst said she has not used wireless printing, the open access computer labs do have remote printing options. Details on how to do so can be found at the university website.
Other students also enjoy the studying options spring has brought. Lee said he wants to study by the amphitheater on Old Main hill now that the weather is warmer. He went there to write a poem for an English class and said the view of the valley helped his writing.
Erin Hobley, a junior in landscape architecture and environmental planning, said she prefers the area by the TSC fountains because one can move around the variety of seating there. However, some students caution the use of the outdoors to study.
“I never study outside because I just fall asleep when out there,” said Ryan Howell, a senior history student. He prefers the seclusion of the fourth floor of the library.
Discovering someplace new to hit the books may be a nice diversion as finals week looms closer. And for the really stressed, be in the library around the stairs at 10 p.m. on Wednesday of finals week. In previous years this has been the location of the “Finals Week Howl”, where students let go of stress for a supposed 10 minutes of howling.
– genevieve.draper@aggiemail.usu.edu