Midterms are starting up, which means libraries will be filled with students – especially the UGL. As you walk through the crowded library full of stressed out students, you can become easily overwhelmed by trying to find a seat. By the time you find a seat, all of the limited energy you had after a long day of classes is gone and now don’t have the motivation to study.
There is a simple solution to problem. Luckily, since the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a huge campus, there are tons of places to study at that aren’t overflowing with students. These five locations make the perfect study spot without the chaotic, stressful vibes that the UGL often has.
Intermezzo Café
The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is known for being a venue for amazing productions, but many do not know about its hidden gem. Intermezzo is a café that serves a large variety of foods and drinks. This is the perfect location if you are trying to get some homework done while listening to some good tunes playing softly in the background. There is plenty of seating near the café and throughout the center so you won’t find yourself playing Musical Chairs and trying to get the next open seat before someone takes it. Although Intermezzo Café is open for only a small part of the day, the Krannert Center doesn’t close as early. Check out Intermezzo Café to eat some tasty food and then study the night away.
Photo courtesy of noshfolio.com
Link Gallery
Located between the entrance of the School of Art + Design and the Krannert Art Museum is the Link Gallery. Link Gallery showcases student art work year round. The gallery has tables and couches within it that make it a great location for when you have to read a few chapters of your textbook. The floor to ceiling windows make up the gallery, which creates a light and airy environment. There is even an Espresso Royale located in the Krannert Art Museum, so you don’t have to worry about packing enough snacks to fill your backpack.
Photo courtesy of art.illinois.edu
The ARC
Who in their right mind would go to a gym to study? Well, you should. In the entrance of the ARC you can find multiple tables and couches. Sometimes these seats are occupied by people waiting for their workout buddy to arrive, but more often than not, they are open. Pack up your backpack and head over to the ARC if you don’t mind the white noise of basketballs being dribbled in the distance and feet pounding on treadmills as runners get in their final miles. The ARC has WiFi so you can instantly be connected to the Internet and get all of those pesky assignments out of the way.
Photo courtesy of news.illinois.edu
ETC. Coffeehouse
Forget about going to Starbucks or one of the many Espresso Royales on campus and go check out ETC. Coffeehouse. ETC. is more than just your average coffee shop. For one, there are no baristas. The donation-based coffee shop offers a variety of fair-trade coffees and teas between 9 A.M. to 10 P.M. during weekdays. Volunteers set these beverages out throughout the day to make sure that there are always drinks to go around. All of the money ETC. collects from the donations they receive goes to the Wesley Evening Food Pantry. If drinking delicious coffee that helps a great cause doesn’t make you want to go there then maybe their setup will. ETC. has a perfect studying environment with plenty of places to sit in a well-lit area with soothing music playing. So go help out the community as you help yourself to some coffee that will help you stay awake to write your 10 page paper.
Classrooms
With so many academic buildings on this campus, there are hundreds of open classrooms for you and your squad to study in. Just on The Quad alone there are at least five buildings to choose from. While Greg Hall and Lincoln Hall’s classrooms tend to fill up pretty fast, Davenport Hall and the English Building are just a few of the many buildings that have classrooms that are empty after classes have ended. Classrooms are great locations for when you have to complete assignments that have equations because you have access to a chalkboard. Rather than writing out the problem on a small piece of notebook paper, write the equation out on the board so you can work out the problem more efficiently.
Photo courtesy of blog.admissions.illinois.edu
Next time you’re on the hunt for the perfect study spot, ditch the library and head to one of these five locations. These five places are a nice switch up from the dull library scene and can make studying a little less boring by having a new change in environment.