Saint Vincent is such a beautiful place and sometimes we forget to appreciate the simple things that our school has to offer. We get so caught up in the stress of everyday life that we forget to stop and take a minute to smell the roses. We’re all at the point in the semester where we’re drowning and doing our best to stay afloat. One thing that I like to do when I find myself drowning in schoolwork is to find a unique place to go to study. A place where I feel calm and peaceful, and a place where I can take breaks to appreciate my surroundings.
Of course, the library is a nice, quiet place to study on campus, but get a little creative. The library is so quiet, which is great if you need a quiet space to study. If you get too distracted by sitting in the normal cubicles or at the computers, go down into the stacks. There are three levels in the stacks, each lined with cubicles. It may seem a little freaky, but they’re actually a really peaceful place to study. If you get a little bored, you can even walk around and look at all of the old books. There’s a lot of beauty in an old book – especially if you take the time to appreciate them.
Stop in Sebastian’s Garden. Sebastian’s Garden is one of my favorite places on campus because it is just purely beautiful. There are benches, or you could even take a blanket and sit in the grass. If it’s a nice day, that would be one of the best places to study. It’s always so peaceful and you can take a couple of minutes to appreciate the beauty of the flowers and the fountain.
If you like some background noise while you’re studying, try studying in the Carey Lounge. There are so many different tables, and I often find myself putting some headphones in and cranking out work while sitting at the tall tables near the barista. You’ll be surprised at how much work you can get done, especially during the early morning hours when many people haven’t claimed tables yet.
Of course, there’s several lounges around campus that you can stop in. There’s the study center on the second floor of Alfred, where you even have access to a printer. There’s several tables and couches throughout the science center that you could sit down at. There’s even rooms on the ground floor of every dorm building that you could study in.
You just have to get creative with where you study. Utilize the beautiful places on campus and make sure that you take time for yourself in the midst of your studies.
Stay golden,
HCXO