Places to study or hang out

A student’s main job is…well, being a student! That makes study-friendly locations a must have for any student. Of course, it’s important to find time to unwind and relax too. These quotes discuss Honors student’s frequently mentioned favorite places around campus to study, hang out, or both.

Liberal Arts

The Liberal Arts building was the most mentioned location from our surveyed current students…by a LOT. With five floors of classrooms, lounge areas, and beautiful views, it’s no wonder that so many students like to spend time here. Pretty much everyone has a class in this building at some point during their time here, so don’t worry, you’ll get your fair share of time here!

“Well, I would call the Liberal Arts building my home because all my classes meet there so I spend a lot of time there. It is also by far my favorite building because it is huge and full of seating and outlets. There are little nooks and benches everywhere which is nice because during finals buildings can fill up pretty quick but there is always somewhere to sit and hang out in LA. For studying, I love the little cubbies in the second floor of the library which are the perfect place to take some time to yourself and study.” — Kristen Gittings ’22

“Most of the time, I will search through the Liberal Arts building until I find a table with chairs.  I study best in quiet and peaceful spaces.  LA is such a large building that no matter what time of the day it is, you can usually find a quiet location with tables and chairs. The fifth floor of LA is a great place to study in the evening!” –Melissa Baltimore ’22

“The best place to study on campus is the Liberal Arts building. This building is brand new and has all different types of areas to study in throughout the day. In the evening, classrooms open up, and I can use whiteboards and computers in the rooms.” –Charlotte Brown ’22

“My favorite place to study on campus is in the LA cafe in the morning. It’s really sunny and there aren’t too many people there before 10am, so it’s quiet.” –Celeste Vandegriff ’22

 

“I think that the best place to study is on the 5th floor of the Liberal Arts building. On the 5th floor there is an area with tables and chairs that has plenty of natural light coming through the windows during the day. At night, there a beautiful multicolored lights that hand and provide a nice and calming atmosphere. The area is generally quite and spacious which is conducive to studying.” –Lauren Cunningham ’21

“While it varies from person to person, I like to study in the liberal arts building next to any of the huge windows. I find that the calming views and the focused atmosphere really help me to get work done between classes. A bonus is the nearby print stations.” –Meghan Ely ’22

“Liberal Arts. Very open and comforting. The LA Cafe is on the 4th floor. Students tend to sit at the “study areas” where there are big chairs and tables for students to do work. There are also nice cushion benches that students tend to take naps on during breaks.” –Julia Roush

“Most, if not all, my classes have been in the College of Liberal Arts (LA) Building. I really like this building because of the many pockets of seats and study areas to do work or hangout in between classes. There is also the cafe and the library, so there is no need to even leave the building!” –Sam Frank ’22

 

Freedom Square

“Best place to study is definitely Freedom Square, it’s good to have fresh air circulating while getting your thoughts together!” — Keasia Beckman ’23

Freedom Square, located in the center of campus in between the Psychology/Hawkins Buildings, Cook Library, and Linthicum. Above it lies the Academic Advising Center in the Lecture Hall, which provides some shade and shelter if you want to be outside in the sun or rain. Students frequently hang out and study here, and sometimes you’ll find special events, snacks, or other excitement happening around.

Honors College Central: Douglass House and York Road

“I like studying in the quiet lounges in Douglass House because it’s super close to my dorm room and most of them have white boards to use. Other than that, I think the Honors Lounge/Study Room in York is a great place as well since only Honors students can get in and it’s typically nice and quiet for you to focus.” — Phuong Dinh Nguyen ’23

 

“My go-to place to study is in the York Rd building (the math and computer science building). That is where all of my classes are and I work as a Tutor there. Right outside of the Honors College on the first floor there are cubbies with white boards and a table and I really like working on those white boards.” –Bailey VanBuren ’22

“The Honors Lounge in 7800 York Road is the best place to study. It’s equipped with desktop computers, which is great if you’re a commuter like me and don’t feel like lugging your laptop all across campus all day. Plus, since the lounge is exclusively for Honors Students, it’s nice and quiet in there so you can focus on your work (or take a nap- I’ve done that, too).” –Taryn Painter ’22

 

Cook Library

“Recently, I have found a new love in the second floor of the library. My freshmen year I almost never ventured up to Cook Library but this year I found that it was the best place to study. Not only does the library have a Starbucks for all your caffeine needs, it also has 5 floors of study space. My favorite place is the second floor, they have like little study cubbies built into the wall that have a desk area, a light, and a personal white board mounted on the wall. Plus, there are so many of them that it’s never too hard to find one.” –Kristen Gittings ’22

“The second floor of Cook Library is the best place to study.  If you go all the way to the back right there is a quiet study room where it is completely silent and there are desks with dividers so you can feel completely immersed in your studies with no distractions.” –Maria Puglese ’22

 

Smith Hall

“The best place to study, if you don’t like total silence, like me, is in Smith Hall. I like watching people walk by and occasionally my friends or professors will stop by to chat. If you prefer a quiet place, I recommend the fifth floor of the Liberal Arts Building. It is almost always empty and you get to enjoy all the lights changing colors!” –Kathleen Hohweiler ’21

“Smith, which has a lot of character to it. It is an older building, but you can tell that so many students before us have sat in classes there just like we do, and I think that makes it special.” –Brittany Rotolo ’22

 

Other Locations

“Personally, I think the best place to study on campus is on the top floors of West Village Commons. Not a lot of people go up there so it is quiet and comfortable.” –Jillian McIntyre ’22

 

“Psychology building and Hawkins Hall. They’re mainly for education majors. The classrooms have individual desks with wheels and an attached swivel table. Some have large tables with chairs. The hallways are a bit narrow, and there’s not many places to sit other than the floor. ABP is on the 1st floor of Hawkins Hall.” –Julia Roush

Want to talk with any of these students? Many of the students quoted throughout the website are also listed on the Student Contacts page. Check them out if you want more details about anything they discussed here! 

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