Did your professor just assign a quiz for next class the very first day? Are you already sick of your roommate? Or do you just need a quiet place to sit and not think about anything? Sounds like you need to find your new study spot on campus. The Minnesota Daily has you covered. Here are some of the best study spots around campus:
The basement of Coffman Union
Stroll down the hallway covered in historic photos of campus and you’ll find one of the best not-so-hidden secrets on campus: publicly available couches. Chances are someone will be sleeping on at least one, but if you can nab another, it’s so worth almost falling asleep during textbook readings. Forget uncomfortable library chairs, study in style. (Just make sure it’s not a night the Whole Music Club has a show, because it’s right next door.)
Some random corner in Northrop
If you want to feel sophisticated (think studying in some empty room in an art gallery), try hiding somewhere in Northrop. The auditoriums may be closed, but there are plenty of tables and chairs to get nice views of campus. Nice, clean, quiet, and with a fancy cafe on the first floor — what else do you need?
Hard Times Cafe
The name says it all. Great for panicked study sessions or late night eats, this West Bank staple coffee shop and restaurant boasts the best vegetarian and vegan food near campus and is open 22 hours a day, perfect for when you remember you have that test like, tomorrow. Sink into those broken-down booth seats, order a breakfast burrito the size of your head for under $8 and be comforted knowing that you crying in the corner won’t really stand out too much. Just don’t forget to bring cash!
Anywhere on the St. Paul campus
Want to be in nature, but without all the people playing frisbee around you? Take the campus connector to St. Paul, where you’ll find a lone hammocker and a few Bailey kids who missed the bus to East Bank. Take a nap in the sun without fear of getting hit in the head by a football, or head into any building and enjoy the peace and quiet. How could you go wrong with a campus that sells special ice cream flavors made at the U?
Wilson Library
This West Bank library is absolutely massive and has different noise levels per floor, so there’s definitely a spot for your study needs. Feeling the coffee shop atmosphere? Try the Dunn Bros in the basement. More of a dead-silence person? You can hear your heartbeat on the fourth floor. There’s usually plenty of open study rooms if you want to meet up with some friends or put a wall between you and other students. Bonus: check out the SMART Learning Commons for some peer tutoring when you get stuck!
