It’s that time of year; midterms are upon us. Oh who am I kidding, midterms have been “upon us” from Week 2. #WelcomeToDrexel and welcome to a super fast, no holding back quarter system that requires constant studying and essay writing. Since we have such a fast paced school, you need a good study spot and we at HC Drexel know you’ve got a go-to when studying time come around. Based on extensive research done throughout the term and the use of psychoanalysis tools we may or may not have borrowed from the Psychology department, we’ve come up with a foolproof classification of the students who study at each of the 6 most popular study spots on campus.
1. One Drexel Plaza: One Lonely Studier You really like your peace and quiet… and lack of windows. No one will bother you in the Garden Level of Drexel plaza because a) they’ll probably get lost trying to find you, b) you don’t have cell service, and c) the 10-minute maze is just not worth it. If you’re studying in the Plaza, you’re there for the long run. You’re a driven student who wants to just get the homework done and move on with the day. You also know to come prepared, which you might’ve learned after you didn’t bring any food with you during your first study trip. Studying with other people doesn’t make sense to you and when people start talking, you’re the one shooting daggers at them. How dare they disrupt the eerie silence that is Drexel Plaza.Photo Courtesy of Bitten Bender Construction
2. Library: Socialize then Study You almost always enter the library with full intention to study, so good for you! Once you find a friend with space at her table though, all bets are off. Soon the midterm deadlines are ignored and only the latest gossip is on your mind. The books may be open and you occasionally turn the page to make yourself feel like you’re studying but quick glances are not helping you retain information. A couple hours will be spent catching up, chatting and occasionally rereading the same few pages a couple times to make sure you’ve accomplished something while being in the library.After these few hours have passed you realize you actually need to get work done, so either you shut off your friend and outside noises completely to study at the table, or you begrudgingly move to a single cubby space in the quiet room. Now that you’ve gabbed with your girlfriends enough to last the rest of the day, your brain is finally able to focus as you realize you need to go over those last 10 pages again because no matter what your brain says, Benedict Cumberbatch and Eggs Benedict have no relation to Benedict Arnold.
3. Gerri. S. LeBow Hall: The College Collaborator Reserving a group study room in LeBow is like the course surveys Drexel has us fill out, a hassle to complete but a blessing once your grade sees an improvement. It’s a nice place to go to have a spot of your own, with big, bright windows to let you know how much beautiful weather you’re missing out on. If you’re a studier in LeBow, you’re most often there to collaborate and work on projects so you don’t have to meet up on the weekends. You like bouncing ideas off of your peers and spreading your stuff out. Whether it’s drawing on the whiteboards or using miscellaneous pens, you’re communicating a concept about something, to someone, someplace in LeBow. Photo Courtesy of Drexel University
4. Main Building: Smarter Than The Rest You know that finding a spot to cover a quarter’s worth of material in the library is a lost cause so you always rely on Main Building to provide an empty classroom for you to get your stuff done. Since Main Building houses two of the student body’s least favorite classroom areas (Randell & Curtis), there’s rarely anyone there voluntarily on the weekends or in the evenings. With vast amounts of classrooms and study spaces that no one ever knows about, you could go hours without anyone interrupting you. In fact, the only people you see are the janitors and security guards making their mandatory rounds (even they don’t want to be there).If you study In Main Building you’re much smarter than your friends because you used reverse psychology to find the one place students would never think to go to study. With all of the benefits provided by Main, like projectors, chalk boards, imaginary students for you to teach, and the empty bathrooms, there’s no reason you would ever have any desire to study some place else. Fighting for a space isn’t your style and isn’t worth your time, you have finals for goodness sakes!
5. Outside: Bravest Of Them All If you’ve somehow figured out how to use a laptop outside without it overheating and positioning it at a perfect glare-free angle, we applaud you oh brave one. Studying outside reminds everyone of the summer vacation that’s still far off, but you use it as motivation. Not the perfect “Suns out, guns out” situation we’ve seen emblazoned on multiple frat tanks around campus, but it comes close in a “Paper Due, Shirtless Dudes” kind of way. You’re definitely a multitasker, working on recovering from the Vitamin-D deficiency this frigid winter caused while studying for the two midterms per week that Drexel caused.
6. Starbucks/Joes: A Latte Noise Is Natte Problem If you go to a coffee shop to study, there’s a chance you can’t function without caffeine and are known for saying “Don’t talk to me until I’ve had my second cup of joe.” Luckily, you’re used to the noise level and have the focus to get down and study with your mug on your left and notes on the right. You’re a quick studier — that caffeine buzz is only going to last so long and you need all the help you can get. If you’re forced to study anywhere else (your usual table is taken, there are literally no spots available, or you’ve been dragged away from your haven for group work) you know your new locale will pale in comparison. Nothing else offers the unique combination of a bustling atmosphere, easily accessible caffeine and snacks, and a perfect opportunity to people watch while on a study break. Don’t worry though, your coffee-shop-study-habit has trained you well, and you’re used to the distractions thrown your way so have faith, you’ve got this, with or without a dirty chai latte with soy milk and no foam.
There you have it, if you stumble across a student in one of these study spaces you now know how to classify them. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try some new study spaces depending on what you need. Good luck with midterms, finals, and plucking up the courage to ask your cute barista for his number.