By Nicholas Fox
As midterms approach, studying in your dorm can easily become a mundane task, with your desk and bed being the only options you have to choose from. This guide should help you add some variety to your daily study habits.
The cabana area by the lake offers a quiet place to study if you’re willing to make the journey. There is little to no traffic by students during the day, making it a tranquil place to study without distractions. Despite the occasional encounter with Saint Leo’s intriguing wildlife, the lake area is a wonderful place to study.
Upperclassmen have access to their apartment’s common area as well as the lounge area. Apartments one and two give students access to a study area adjacent to the lounge while apartments three and four have social areas on multiple floors. These are rarely taken advantage of depending on the apartment. The common area in apartments one and two have relatively high traffic from students which makes it difficult to study. The social spaces in buildings three and four also contain workout equipment, but headphones are an easy fix for that problem. All of these spaces can get quite chilly, so it’s best to bring a blanket or a hoodie to combat the cold. Apartments five and six both have unique study areas apart from the single meeting area encased in glass. Apartment five has possibly the largest lounge aside from the Lion’s Den in Marmion and Snyder. This area has high student traffic due to the game room which also makes it a loud space. However, the aquarium in the lounge offers a relaxing view when the work gets too stressful.
Studying falls under the category of student activity, so naturally, the Student Activities Building makes for an excellent study spot. Whether you’re inside or outside, this area has high traffic during the day, but during the night there’s low traffic, most of which is the Lions’ Pride Media Group, Campus Activity Board Members, Greek Life or the women’s basketball team. This area is great if there’s an event going on during classes to accomplish light reading during the day. It’s also great at night if you’re not feeling your dorm area and want to remain in the heart of campus.
If you’re not easily tempted by the smell of food or distracted by a high flow of student and faculty traffic, then the Student Community Center offers a variety of study locations throughout the day. The couches adjacent to the boardrooms are quite cozy, offering a nice place to shelter yourself from the heat. After a few steps past the couches you’ll find tables and chairs which are typically used by the commuters during the day. The area provides a scenic view of the bowl and Lake Jovita; during the night there’s a small chance of being disturbed due to the lack of traffic in the area. The cafeteria is also a great place to study in between classes as there are plenty of meals that will replenish your brain power while you study in the Student Community Center.
Everyone on campus has had at least one class in Kirk Hall. There are many lounge areas to take advantage of in the building, and the amount of student traffic decreases exponentially on the higher floors. As the day draws to an end, Kirk hall becomes a place that increases in study potential. The classrooms are vacant, making for excellent group study sessions using the same tools your professors use.
The cave is also an excellent feature that should be utilized if you’re looking for a great place to study and a little extra help from a tutor on a topic that you’re studying would improve your understanding of the material, potentially decreasing the time you need to study it.
Your professor’s office or any professor’s in the field is one of the best places to study. They’ll provide you with practice problems and ensure that the time you spend with them won’t be put to waste.
The library is a nice place to binge study if you need a place devoid of distractions. The first floor is a little busy during the day, but the second floor and basement are normally empty especially during the night. During the day the first and second floors provide a stunning view of Lake Jovita, the bowl and apartments one and four.
Here’s a bonus spot to do some light reading in a relaxing place: the grotto. If you want pure silence in a tranquil environment, the grotto is the perfect place for you; if you’re able to find it and are willing to make the journey, admire the site and enjoy your studying.
There are many places to study on campus so you shouldn’t limit yourself to your room. Explore the university for what it has to offer, especially during exam time.
