5 Secret Study Spaces on Campus

Finding a good spot to settle down and study in peace can sometimes seem impossible to the ever-busy collegiette, especially during the week, when campus is full of students and faculty looking for somewhere to do their work! Thing is, there’s a lot of spots on campus here at Stony Brook University that are either rarely occupied and perfect for high-concentration studying or are perfect little places to set your things down while still having the quiet mill of college life around you. Here’s just a few of them. 

1. 2nd Floor of the North Reading Room

Right at the end of the Melville Library is the North Reading Room, where students go to do some hard work towards their studies. Not only is there lots of space here to sit at desks, seats, and couches, but also the 2nd floor holds some of the best views and study spaces of the building!

There’s a lot of variety here for every student, whether you like kicking your feet up on a couch, sitting at a desk with personal outlets, or being enclosed in your own little space (which also comes with outlets!).

Being that this is the library, everybody here is pretty respectful of other students, and there’s hardly any noise. My favorite spot is at the tables by the window, where there’s lots of natural light and a nice view!

2. 1st Floor Lobby of the Physics Building

This is a great spot if you’ve got a book to read or notes to review. If you come in from the main doors, turn to your right and you’ll see these two quaint seating areas.

My friend, who is a Biochem major, utilizes these spots a lot because nobody else does! They’re fairly quiet and have lots of natural light. If you do need to charge your phone or a laptop, there’s an outlet ready for you to use! A great spot, especially if you’ve bounced from the more popular spots on campus without finding any open seats.

3. 2nd Floor of Humanities

There’s my Biochem friend making use of this great spot to do some studying (hi Kris)! Go up the stairs when you come in using the main entrance; if you turn around at the top, across the way you’ll spot this seating area. There’s a few couches, a couple of tables, and several outlets along the wall for you to use. If you’re really hunkering down for some long, excruciating studying, this area also has two vending machines for snacks and coffee to keep you fueled!

This is the few from our table; the vaulted ceiling full of windows keeps the place nice and bright. The only time there’s really noise is in between classes (or when they’re doing tours); sometimes there are students using the space to just relax and chat, so you might want to bring headphones if you’re easily distracted.

4. 2nd Floor of the Center for Molecular Medicine

This is the Center for Molecular Medicine! Don’t worry, I didn’t know this was here, either, and it’s kind of out of the way of everything else on the main campus. That’s the best thing, though: it’s got so much potential to be a place for your hardcore studying and work!

Head up to the 2nd floor upon entering the building and navigate your way through the halls; you’ll come across this clearly underused spot! Sure, the decor needs a little love, but don’t knock it ‘til you try it! You’ll come to value it for its total peace and quiet. There are some vending machines in the same room, so if you get hungry for a snack, you don’t have to go far at all.

You won’t be trapped in by walls here, either; there are some huge windows opening up to the courtyard, bringing in tons of light to brighten up the space.

5. Ground Floor of the Wang Center

Head down the stairs right by Jasmine and you’ll find tons of tables ready for you to use! There’s lots of space to meet in groups or to join another solo-student for some quiet studying. It can get a little noisy above you because of the foot traffic, but the fountain is right to the left of this photo, a great visual piece to help keep you focused. Go further right from here and there’s even more seating to use!

Next time you’re looking for somewhere to do your work, don’t go to the popular spots on campus; they’re likely to be the busiest (and noisest!) and you’ll be lucky if you find anywhere to sit. Do some exploring and see what other neat areas you can find so you can make your own secret study spot!  

• midterms
• Stony Brook
• studying