As I wrap up my first year at Notre Dame, I have come to discover different study spaces. However, I have noticed that oftentimes the place I pick to work influences my mood and ultimately how successful I am in completing my tasks. Unlike high school, where our study spot options were limited most of the time to our homes, the possibilities are endless in college. Therefore, here are my five different choices for five different study moods.
- Reading Rooms (Hes, Second and Tenth floor)
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If you are looking for utter silence, these are the places to go. They are quiet and, as their name suggests, perfect for reading. However, their setup is also essential to making you productive there. You will be surrounded by other people who are all deep into the task they are doing. And if you are anything like me, being able to see them and them seeing you will make it unlikely that you stop working.
Ideal for: Long writing and/or reading sessions for Theology, Philosophy, Political Science, etc.
- First and Second floors at Hes
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These are perfect for group study. The vibe and setup are informal enough for you to talk without feeling guilty about it, yet organized and bright enough to get work done. You also get to see and listen to other people working, which might be a positive for you depending on what kind of student you are.
Ideal for: group discussions for projects, study sessions before midterms or casual half-study-half-hangout nights.
- DeBart Lounge
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Located in the first floor of DeBartolo Hall, the DeBart Lounge is a quiet place perfect for when you need to focus during the day. This is both a hidden gem and a hit or miss. It is pretty empty most of the time, so it is great for when you need to focus at times where most other places are bustling. Although it might depend on your schedule, the DeBart lounge can have a more convenient location than Hes and yield similar results. However, it can sometimes be too quiet, too warm, and with the lights too dim, inspiring a nap rather than a productivity session.
- Study Rooms at the Center for Career Development (5th floor, Duncan)
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Although they can get tricky with the reservations, these rooms offer more privacy than those at Hes. They have different kinds of rooms for interviews with employers, but they have some available to take online classes. Studying here requires more planning ahead, but you could always take advantage of the study chairs they have available throughout the whole floor.
Ideal for: online classes, if you need as much concentration as possible.
- Duncan 7th floor
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Although you might run into a lecture being given at Dahnke Ballroom, you can grab a chair at the 7th floor of Duncan Student Center. The high chair and small table combo might not be the most comfortable of all, but this place holds a special place in my heart. Sitting here, you will overlook the beautiful field of the Notre Dame Stadium. If you are anything like me, this view might prevent you from getting much done. However, you will be in awe of the beauty of this campus and the school as a whole. As many of us might have experienced, this school year at Notre Dame has not been what it used to be. As a freshman who heard so many stories about how this was practically heaven on Earth, this has made me very frustrated at times. But sometimes, you need to stop and look around and remember why you are here and how hard you worked to do so. If you ask me, sometimes productivity can take a step back while you stop and smell the roses – or stare at the stadium – if you need it.
Ideal for: when you feel the burnout coming and need to remember everything you love about being HERE.