As the third week of the fall semester draws to a close (wait, what?!), homework is starting to pile up. While, yes, sweater weather is fast approaching, I’m not quite ready to bury myself in a library yet. Don’t get me wrong, I love Widener (though I’ll never reveal the location of my favorite hidden reading room) and the house libraries (no Lamont, though – I refuse) but I have all winter ahead of me to work under artificial lights and amidst uncontrollable radiators. For the time being, I’d rather throw a scarf in my bag and bundle up to work in the fresh air. There are cafes with outdoor seating (Peet’s, Gato Rojo, Pamplona, and Crema are all great) but most of the time I’d rather find a place where I can bring a huge thermos of tea and work undisturbed by wait staff and other customers. If you’re inclined to agree with my convictions, here’s a list of my favorite places to study outside if you’re: a) from the Northeast and won’t even notice the cold until October at the earliest or b) totally unwilling to let go of summer (or both, like me!).
If you need a table to work and don’t like to be disturbed…
Tables outside the Faculty Club:
Pros: Great chairs, nice glass tables, big umbrellas to protect you from the sun, usually empty and not frequented by other students.
Cons: Big umbrellas to protect you from the sun (I’m still hoping for as much Vitamin D as I can get…), fairly secluded – no fun people watching here!
Bonus: There’s also a fabulous little bench outside the Club that’s surrounded by lots of lovely flowers and greenery – great for getting casual reading done!
If you need a table to work and like to people-watch…
Tables outside Mem Church:
Pros: Right in the middle of campus, comfortable wooden chairs and benches, nice sturdy tables, great for people watching, beautiful surroundings.
Cons: Harvard tours come through fairly frequently and there are only so many times you can hear the same lame Titanic movie jokes as they explain the foundation of Widener library…
If you’d rather stay closer to home…
House courtyards:
Pros: lots of different kinds of spaces to work (pictured here: cushioned swing in Lev tower courtyard, hammock and tree-bench in Mather courtyard; also available: tables and wooden swing in Adams Randolph courtyard, gorgeous lawn space in the Quad, hammock in Kirkland courtyard, etc.), convenient if you forgot something at your desk and can’t go on working without it, easy access to blockmates and dhall and all sorts of necessary amenities like that.
Cons: easy to get distracted by blockmates/dhall/your warm bed two stories up – try going to another house’s courtyard to get the feel of working in a homey environment and reap the benefits of Harvard’s extensive lawn furniture collection without the temptations of your own house.
Today it is 50 degrees out but on Sunday it’ll be 80 so don’t worry! “Seasons” in New England allow for chances to do your homework outside for as long as you have sweaters and scarves to layer…