This is the second of my two-part investigation into the best study spots on campus. For my last blog I highlighted the places where people can work if they want to have a little background noise or work with groups. If you missed that one you can check it out here. But now, with only one week before dead week and finals, I know some of us are beginning to need areas that are a little quieter to get down to business with our studies and final papers or projects. I’ve found a couple really useful ones!
The Periodical Room
The Periodical room is located on the second floor of the library and is where we take quiet to the extreme. No talking is allowed at all and it is an excellent place to focus with no noise distractions. It is a fairly large room with long tables so usually it isn’t hard to find a nice study spot.
The other two of my “secret” study places may be less known because they aren’t the usual places you might think of, but because I have done a thorough investigation, I know all the good places!
Hamilton Hall
I am partial to this building because I am majoring in Public Relations and have most of my classes in it. Hamilton Hall also is where the Greenlee School of Journalism and the student run Iowa State Daily newspaper are located. In the center of the building there are a few tables with couches and chairs where students can work between classes and it is generally quiet in the middle area.
Mackay Computer Labs
Quite a few students aren’t even aware that there is a computer lab located in Mackay but there are actually two! One is located on the first floor and there is also one on the third floor. These are great places to go if you need to work at a computer but the ones in the library are taken up.
My final bit of study spot advice is to look in buildings that are not commonly known for studying in. Upstairs at the tables in Catt Hall, for example, is a great place to study in the morning when the sun is streaming in the windows. That’s where you can find me studying for finals in the next couple weeks!
Posted by: Selia Schneider