OT: Best Places to Study
As a senior, I'm getting sick of going to Espresso, the stacks, the ugli (death), etc. What were your favorite places to study? And for the fellow students out there, what are your favorite places to study? Any unconventional, unique places?
I'd have to go with the 4th floor of the Dana building as my favorite. It was redone a few years back so many of you may not be familiar. The open air courtyard was turned into part of the building with a glass roof and now provides many common areas with natural lighting.
Thoughts?
September 24th, 2009 at 12:46 PM ^
Law Quad Reading Room -- quietest on campus by far and internet access is only open to Law students so distractions are minimal.
Also $0.50 coffee mug refill in the basement cafe.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:11 PM ^
1999, but I liked to study at the Law Library Basement cafe. I like it when it is relatively quiet, but there is still some background noise. If it is to quiet my mind will drift away. Now when I need to study something for work or when I was getting my Masters, I go to a Barnes and Noble and sit in the cafe area. I guess I just like background noise when I study : )
September 24th, 2009 at 12:49 PM ^
On weekends, I just grab an empty classroom or an empty teachers lounge in the Chem Building and just post up. Big rooms, chalkboards, etc.
September 24th, 2009 at 12:51 PM ^
guess you beat me too it-great minds think alike
September 24th, 2009 at 12:54 PM ^
haha yeah I guess. Also, I am prohibited from studying on the 2nd floor of the ugli because I am not in a frat and thus can't get pass the greek ID scanner at the door.
September 24th, 2009 at 12:50 PM ^
kresge is the best. the facility is the nicest and there is tons of room..many study halls and a huge quiet room are the highlights
September 24th, 2009 at 8:48 PM ^
Kresge then switch over to the Ugli at midnight with a stop at Backroom on the way.
September 24th, 2009 at 12:50 PM ^
Go to any of the regular classrooms...the chem building is probably my favorite. After class is done there is nobody in there and the rooms are empty. Perfect for studying because nobody comes in and bothers you and it is just you and your books and you can stay for as long as needed
September 24th, 2009 at 12:51 PM ^
my room ... i may be crazy but i always just prefer working in the comfort of my own room
September 24th, 2009 at 12:53 PM ^
3rd floor Duderstadt. Quiet, lots of computers, a videogame library on second floor if you need a break. Unfortunately, it's on North Campus, but I gladly make the trip.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:51 PM ^
gladly makes the trip to North Campus.
September 24th, 2009 at 10:35 PM ^
Back when the FXB was new (yes I'm old) they had a dedication ceremony for the wave field (that's the bumpy lawn for you non-Aero engineers). The ceremony involved kids from the Art school (or dance, whatever) dancing around on the field. When they were done they gathered inside the FXB. As I was walking by, I overheard their Prof thanking them for "coming all the way up here".
Dammit, I was there every day! No one thanked me for coming. Damn LS and Players.
No I'm not bitter not one bit :)
September 24th, 2009 at 3:04 PM ^
You got to love the 24" monitors on the left side. A must for coding.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:15 PM ^
Studying at the Dude saved me for midterms and finals. I wouldn't make the trip up there every night though.
Law reading room for everything else.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:35 PM ^
Co-sign on north campus. No one bothers you. Ample computer space. Quiet.
I also spent the night in the carols (sp?) of the grad a few times. Plugged the ipod into the wall and had zero distractions.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:50 PM ^
I don't know about you, but I have found the 3rd Dude to be noisy, especially during finals time. People are probably going to neg me for saying this, but I think it is a cultural thing with people talking loud. I have also seen a number of people watching soccer on the 3rd Dude computers with no headphones...just blasting it on the internal speakers. That is disrespectful of those trying to study/work around you.
I just avoid 3rd Dude unless I absolutely have to go there. Instead I go to LBME or grad stacks.
September 24th, 2009 at 4:31 PM ^
Nothing like what happens in the IOE basement computer lab. People were having raves in there. Seriously.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:39 PM ^
Don't you mean the Media Union? :) I do agree, though, that the third floor was a great spot to work, but I was always working on group stuff there - and so were most others it seemed like. A little noisy for studying. I also did a ton of groupwork in the Tap Room, basement of the Union past the food court. And the FXB - good student lounge. As far as studying alone, I did most of that in my room.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:01 PM ^
This is going back many years, but my favorite off-the-beaten track place long ago was the History of Art library in Tappan Hall. Well-lit, pretty quiet, rarely crowded. Good location, too.
September 24th, 2009 at 9:14 PM ^
I loved that little library. Tappan's a cool building.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:03 PM ^
The drive was long, but I'd have the entire library to myself.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:57 PM ^
Nice work. I for sure got a chuckle out of that one.
September 24th, 2009 at 6:34 PM ^
After my first 2 years, I realized my apartment was the best place to study. If you're getting distracted that just means the exam isn't close enough; the fear of failure usually drives me to study more and procrastinate less. However, by my senior I was no longer afraid of exams and had to stay up till 2 hours before the exam to study properly, but I usually reserved that for the easier exams.
EDIT: Oh and Foster library was good too. 2nd floor of Lorch. Very quiet, not crowded, looks nice, and seats are comfy. The computer lab in the basement of Union (after the computer shop) is very quiet and is never full.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:05 PM ^
My two go to places were either the law library already mentioned above or the grad reading room. I loved the "white noise" in the grad reading room, almost sounded like fans or air conditioning being piped in far away.
I actually tried to study for two finals the Saturday of hash bash one year at the grad. I could hear chong outside talking into a bullhorn. It was pretty surreal.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:05 PM ^
The School of Public Health has a great library that few have utilized since construction finished. It's quiet and there are very few people there on average. The only problem is you have to be a Public Health student to access the building after 5 PM, but if you're in early, you can stay as long as you want. SPH is the building right near Markley and across from MoJo and Alice Lloyd.
September 24th, 2009 at 5:07 PM ^
Right on. This was virtually the only place I studied my freshman year, when I lived in Alice Lloyd. This was in 95-96, but back then there were tons of vacant offices with big windows. I could go in there virutally any time (including after 5) and have a completely quiet, private office with windows to myself. No cafe or entertainment nearby, but that was kind of a good thing. :) Unfortunately it was a long way from anywhere I lived my last 3 years.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:05 PM ^
The reading room in Rackham is amazingly quiet - no electronics allowed. I'm not sure if it is exclusively for grad students, but it's not like there is someone checking your ID at the door.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:09 PM ^
As of a few years ago, there was a random sofa at the end of an obscure hall on an upper floor in Lorch. After 5 PM, it was an amazingly comfortable, quiet and secluded place to power through 100-200 pages of reading with zero distractions.
If it's still there, I highly recommend it.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:09 PM ^
Conference room in the biomedical sciences building (I think that is what it is called) the one with the auditorium in the front that looks like a stack of Pringles. Just be careful, the doors lock after a certain time and if you get locked out without your stuff there are only a few people around and you might not get back in.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:14 PM ^
Either the math lounge in 2nd floor East Hall or the Physics commons on the 3rd floor of West Hall.
Then again, that might just be so I can work with people who know the material. I guess my need to work in groups on problem sets dictates my study location.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:15 PM ^
It was the grad library for me, but once I was firmly entrenched in north campus my room at the North Campus Co-ops (don't laugh, it's cheap) was quiet enough, usually. Failing that, the Dude, or Pierpont commons. (that's what the kids call it now? It was just "North Campus Commons" when I was there). I would have spent more time at the FXB but at the time they didn't leave the classrooms open in the evenings.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:16 PM ^
studier/readier you are.
If you need absolute peace and quiet to read: Law Quad reading room
If you need a group thing: UGLI basement/2nd floor duderstadt for Engineers
If you want a somewhat quit place: higher floors of the UGLI
If you want something different: Angell Hall or Chem Building rooms (good for group studying or just a class setting)
To work on computers/essay/paper: UGLI basement/Duderstadt/CE Building building (stay way from Angell hall computing site at all costs)
Let me know if there is anything to add on
September 24th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^
the rooms in Angell/Mason hall always seemed to be good and it was usually easy to get one.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:17 PM ^
If distractions are a big problem, Lorch Hall is one of the most boring places on Earth. It has nice couches at the end of its hallways.
EDIT: So, uh, yeah, jc, it's still there.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:20 PM ^
Law library.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:22 PM ^
Got to mentally prepare for the crowd noise level during the big one.
Really though, it depends what you're doing. If i have to write a paper, I'd bring my laptop and have at it.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:31 PM ^
Both are quiet, have serious studiers, and stacks around for you to browse when bored. Also, the B-school is close to some eats, for when you get hungry.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:31 PM ^
The Landing Strip.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:39 PM ^
go to cosi between 8-10:30, you can get food and nobody else will be there, ever
September 24th, 2009 at 1:53 PM ^
Nobody mentioned my old favorite, the med school library. Very quiet, tables that are always open, bright lights.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:58 PM ^
I was a grad student in SOE before the SSW building existed. I used to study there a lot, late at night. Every so often students would show up and start a flag football game (in the dark!) in the gravel parking lot by the School of Ed building. I could hear them through the window. Something about knowing there were people out there having fun, while I miserably slogged through another 100+ pages of dry reading, made those nights better.
Last spring I walked into one of the study rooms in the Michigan Union (main floor, across from the info desk) to hang a flyer and it was quiet as a tomb in there. I felt like someone was going to tell me to remove my shoes and creep through in stocking feet. If you need absolute quiet (or an uptight atmosphere full of glaring people) it's worth checking out.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:16 PM ^
I study REALLY late in the SOE. Till 1 or 2. Last year in the middle of the night, I walked to the bathroom and two students were almost naked in the student lounge. dry humping like crazy.
(not that I stayed to watch or anything, but I couldn't help but notice)
This may make the SOE student lounge the best place to study late at night.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:09 PM ^
Very quiet. Nice view.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:53 PM ^
I always liked the reference room at the grad library. Whenever I got bored I'd look at the sweet painting on the ceiling, or the walls, or wherever the hell it was. It's been two years, I can't remember.
September 24th, 2009 at 2:53 PM ^
I always liked the reference room at the grad library. Whenever I got bored I'd look at the sweet painting on the ceiling, or the walls, or wherever the hell it was. It's been two years, I can't remember.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:20 PM ^
Try Weill Hall. It shouldn't be too crowded and it's obviously very new. I didn't study there very often, but it could be good.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:46 PM ^
Study with a B school friend.
My buddy and I got a room and hooked up his computer to the giant TV. We got on ESPN360 and watched the UConn-Pitt basketball game while we studied.
It was incredible.
September 24th, 2009 at 3:46 PM ^
So when you fall asleep...
September 24th, 2009 at 4:16 PM ^
My roommate did that last year when he was studying on his bed for our Anthro 101 exam (we were both in the class). I walked in later that day and I saw him passed out on his bed with the anthro book lying next to him.
September 24th, 2009 at 4:51 PM ^
If you're a part of a student organization and like quiet places to study, try becoming added to the key list for their organization office. With offices being located on the 4th floor of the Union, you have wireless and a printer is right down the hall in the SORC. A great quiet place to study.