Whether we like it or not, the activity that takes up most of our time - more time than even sleeping - is studying. So it's important to find a great place to do it, and all of us have found those unique study spaces that have become like our second homes.
Come with us on a tour of the places where we spend most of our time on campus. Which would you choose?
The Edwin Ginn Library at Tufts' Fletcher School of International Affairs is adjacent to my dorm hall, which makes it very convenient, especially in the winter. This is not the main university library - it's for the graduate school.
I go to the graduate library instead of the main library because the environment is a lot quieter and the students who study there are more serious. I usually spend most of my weekday nights in this library perusing my books, doing homework and sometimes (meaning usually) procrastinating with Facebook, YouTube videos, and TV shows.
These two pictures are taken at my favorite building, Brooks Hall - the anthropology department at the University of Virginia. The second one was taken inside the common room where I usually study. Yup I study next to a mammoth (how weird am I...) and there are cool handicrafts within the glass cabinet.
Paula - My dining room
This is my dining room table at home — a huge conference-room type of table which is always full of my stuff: GRE books and practice tests, Spanish textbook and resources to plan my classes, several books for the classes I’m taking, and most importantly, my mate! It’s a typical beverage from my country (Uruguay) and I can’t do almost anything if I don’t have it!
This is a view of the McKeldin Mall, with the McKeldin Library in the background, at the University of Maryland. I spend most of my time on campus here, not just because the History department and the Library are located on the mall, but because it is the best green space on campus - a place to relax between classes, to walk through with friends, or (when it is a bit warmer) to take your laptop and get some work done while sat under a tree.
The fountain in the center of the mall is infamous among students, as it is tradition to go skinny-dipping in it before you graduate. Although it's a bit chilly to do that just yet, the mall is still the most beautiful spot on campus, come snow or shine.
Phillip - My secluded cubicle
This is a cubicle in the library. I prefer to study in the same place so I have made this my own cubicle. I like this cubicle because it is secluded and sometimes I can just hide from the craziness at Bates in it. I took these pictures spontaneously when I got bored of studying.
Shree - The library I hope to make my own
During my trip to Rollins College, I took a picture of the library there and if I'm enrolled, that will probably be the place where I would spend the most of my time.
Nicholas - At a game
The first photo is my school's library where I spend most of my time studying and the second is one of our football game. I generally like going to school games, especially basketball games, but I didn't have a picture of that.
Annisa - The library couch
The library is every scholar’s best friend on campus. The library at my campus offers many different types of study environments. There is a silent room for people who need complete silence and no distractions, there are rooms for groups of people who meet to conduct study groups and compare notes, there are rows of computers for people who have an online element in their classes, there are individual study tables, and there are sofa areas for people who don’t like to sit in tables all day (like myself!).
The library is where I often see my classmates and from there we start to sit together and discuss assignments or help each other our with study guides. It is also the best place to develop friendships with classmates. When we start conversing or take study breaks, we start to get to know each other and familiarize ourselves with each other’s study methods. When I study in a group, we always take time to study ourselves then review together to make sure everyone is on the same page. So now you know why I spend my time here.
This is a photo of my office at Wesleyan's Center for the Humanities. It's my favorite place on campus, and also where I spend the most time.
Students that are selected to be fellows are given this office space to work on their senior theses. There's a mini-fridge, free coffee downstairs, a balcony, and a couch that's very convenient for power naps. Faculty fellows also have offices just next door and down the hall.
Every Monday, the fellows attend lectures organized by the Center, and then have dinner afterwards. On Tuesday morning, we participate in a colloquium about the lecture and continue our discussions over lunch. I've found this to be an amazing opportunity that demonstrates how closely students and faculty can interact and engage in intellectual conversations at small liberal arts colleges like Wesleyan.
Where do you spend most of your time on campus? How have you made it your own?
