With the spring semester well underway, you may be looking for a different view than the same four walls. There are hidden gems where you can find space to forget about the cold weather, loud dorms and overcrowded reading rooms.
We have pulled together a few suggestions for quiet, collaborative spaces you can try before it’s time to buckle down for midterms.
Blue Sky Brews
Blue Sky Brews
On the corner of Edgehill Rd. and Murray Hill Rd., Blue Sky Brews offers a space for students to snack and study. Though it’s not the place for 3 a.m. cramming sessions, you’ll support a family-owned business while enjoying a fresh view during the day.
Nord Center’s fifth floor
The third floor of Nord can be bustling with books and bagels. If you’re looking for a quieter spot, the fifth floor’s study space is waiting for you. Suggested by fourth-year mathematics and economics major Brooke Hatthorne, this space overlooks Nord’s main level so you still see sunlight.
Allen Memorial Medical Library
Allen Memorial Medical Library
If you need to get in the academic headspace the Allen Memorial Medical Library on the corner of Euclid Ave. and Adelbert Rd. will do the trick. Its bookcases and portraits create the coziest, most “Hogwarts-esque” ambience on campus. Open 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Top floors of the Peter B. Lewis Building
Students might get lost in the Peter B. Lewis Building before reaching these floors, so the fourth and fifth levels are less inhabited than one would expect. “The fourth floor lounge near the elevator is my go-to spot,” says Joanna Chiu, a second-year finance and economics major.
Basement of Bingham
Basement location in Bingham
The bottom of Bingham contains more than engineering labs. Located on the Case Quad, this
lounge has an open space to get work done with vending machines, a couch and a counter in front of a dry-erase wall.
Mandel Building’s second and third floors
The Mandel Building is highly underrated and is often overlooked by students who aren’t in the social sciences. Outside the classrooms you’ll find couches, counters and tables offering a clean, sun-filled space that will make hours of work seem a bit lighter.
Hitchcock Hall
Hitchcock Hall
Located in Thwing, this hall includes the Spartan, Cleveland and Hart Crane reading rooms—spaces open in the evening hours that will make you feel like you’re doing homework in your family’s living room.
“While it’s not a secret to many students,” said English major Veronica Maciag, “it’s still a homey and cozy place to get work done.”
“Ben’s Place” in the School of Law Building
On the School of Law’s second floor, “Ben’s Place” Law Student Center is a roomy space with floor to ceiling windows that’s fit for individual study or collaborative group sessions. One of business management major Hannah Jackson’s favorites, it also includes an adjacent cafe for convenient access to caffeine.
Whether it’s your first year or you’re a more experienced student looking to change up your studying routine, these spaces can host your homework hibernations. When it’s too cold to think about walking back to your residence, having a place to work during the gap between classes is a life—and sometimes a grade— saver.