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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at NCSU chapter.

The best study spots on or near campus!!

  1. D.H. Hill Library

Hill is always my first choice for a study spot, and I am not alone in that opinion. During exam weeks, you can see all 10 floors packed with students studying to prepare, and there is good reason. 

D.H. Hill Library, “Hill” for short, has many benefits that students enjoy while spending their days studying, first being the Hill of Beans Cafe. With seasonal drinks, coffees, teas, smoothies, and a snack and pastry bar, it is very popular for students to go there to fuel their bodies. Since they take dining dollars, it is also convenient, and students can use GrubHub to pre-order their coffee and pastries. Pastries include danishes, muffins, brownies, donuts, cookies, and more. They also have healthier foods such as wraps, sandwiches, sushi, pasta, salads, fruits, and vegetables. 

All floors of Hill are different. Floors 4 through 9 look similar in the sense that they all have book stacks and mostly individual study desks with just a few group study rooms. However, the ground floor to the 3rd floor have a variety of places to sit that I enjoy picking out each day. The ground floor has purple booths where students can socialize while studying, and also long glass tables with outlets everywhere. The other side of the ground floor consists of quiet spaces to study, along with circular tables, an ideal space to work with groups. The majority of the tables on the ground floor are glass, so they can be used as whiteboards. And if that isn’t enough space, there are also whiteboards located all over the ground floor that are on wheels so they can be moved to different tables. The first floor has the learning commons with desktops everywhere and the printing room, along with the back room. This room gives a dark academia vibe with the wooden tables and desk lamps. This room is also a quiet space. The second and third floors have more room to socialize, with larger tables scattered around and also individual study spaces.

Do you ever get to your study spot, sit down, and realize you forgot a charger? The Ask Us desk is one of the key reasons I go to Hill to study. Renting chargers and other materials has never been easier than it is in Hill. All you need is your Student ID, and you can rent chargers or other cords for 8 hours. The Ask Us desk is also where you can find dry-erase markers and other supplies you might need while studying. Having this resource is very convenient compared to other study buildings because there are always staff members there to help, and you never have to worry about not having all your chargers on you.

  1. Talley Student Union

Talley Student Union, or “Talley” for short, is another very popular study spot. I had been going to Hill to study for months, but after a while, sitting in the same place gets tiring and unmotivating. Studying at Talley for a while now has made me understand why so many students have the student union as their first choice for a study spot. 

One Earth Dining Hall is arguably one of the best dining halls on campus. With the different lines for different cuisines and the takeout box you can fill to your liking, many students love eating there. Especially since it costs no dining dollars and only uses meal swipes, many students will eat at One Earth throughout the day as they study. And if that isn’t enough, the series of restaurants on the other side of the second floor, such as Los Lobos, Tuffy’s, and Jason’s Deli, make sure everyone has something to eat. These places take dining dollars too, so all the food areas in Talley take some sort of student meal plan. These places also have the pre-order feature on GrubHub, making it convenient for students to not waste any time during exam seasons. Like Hill, Talley also has a Cafe, but it is called Port City Java. Personally, I like PCJ better than Hill of Beans because they serve hot sandwiches and breakfast foods made to order.

One of the key reasons I love to study at Talley is the lively atmosphere. I can sit on the very top floor and still hear the buzz of students below, which to me is a lot more motivating than sitting and studying in silence. Sitting in front of the windows is refreshing, especially when the weather is warm, and you can see students playing or sitting outside in Stafford Commons.

Overall, the lively building grants a more motivating and enriching environment.

  1. Bliss Cafe

Bliss Cafe is a new cafe located on Hillsborough Street, right by University Towers. This cafe has pastries, boba, tea, coffee, and hot foods like bagels and sandwiches. The owners are extremely friendly and sweet to their customers, especially students, and they offer a 10% student discount as well.

For the days it’s raining or I am not in the mood to walk the distance to Talley or Hill, I like Bliss as it is close to some of the dorms that lie in between the two most popular study spots. 

Because this cafe is new as well, it is usually empty, and it is fairly easy to find a seat to study for a while. They are also open until 6 PM, so even when I start my day late, I have a good backup for studying and getting my work done. I also appreciate how the owners only play soft and relaxing music, with sensory videos on the screens, such as waterfalls flowing, fire sparking, or fish swimming. It provides a relaxing environment that is quiet enough to get my work done but also loud enough to give me some background noise on the days I feel restless.

These are my favorite three study spots, so I hope you will be inspired to study somewhere new! As I mentioned before, studying in the same spot can be unmotivating and boring over time, so finding a new area can be refreshing and give you some variety in your daily life. Even if it isn’t one of the places I mentioned in this article, I encourage you to discover environments that help you focus and boost your productivity

Maheera Hassan is a new member of Her Campus at NC State. She is responsible for writing at least one article a month and being a contributing member to the chapter she is a part of. In high school, Maheera was a part of a variety of service clubs such as Key Club, Rotary Club, and Leo’s Club. She was also the secretary of her student council all four years of high school. Maheera joined her school’s lacrosse team her sophomore year and participated through her senior year. Outside of school, she worked on an internship with Yale’s Center for Clinical Investigation regarding pediatric clinical studies and outreach through family communication portals. Maheera also loves working with kids! Her junior year of high school she worked at a daycare and this past summer she worked as a camp counselor at her district’s elementary school! Now, Maheera attends NC State, part of the class of 2028. Maheera was born and raised in East Lyme, Connecticut, a town just five minutes from the beach. Because of this she loves the ocean! Maheera has an older sister, and she loves to spend time with family and friends during free time. She loves fashion, jewelry, makeup, watching movies, and most of all, shopping. Her top artists are Sabrina Carpenter and Gracie Abrams.