Do you ever feel like when you need to study the most, the UT Austin Libraries and coffee shops near campus are closed? During my first couple of years at UT, I was repeatedly frustrated when I tried to find a study spot on early mornings, evenings, and weekends. Luckily, my frustrated searches have allowed me to uncover some great places to hole up with a textbook!
Lucky Lab Coffee
Lucky Lab is an excellent weekend study spot, particularly if you get there early! On Saturdays and Sundays, they open at 7:30am (before most of West Campus rolls out of bed), and on weekdays they open even earlier (6:30am!). While this popular coffee spot gets a little too loud for me in the late mornings on weekends, it is a great place to hang out while you wait for the PCL, Union, or other libraries to open for the day.
The UT Austin Academic Buildings
If you are a UT Austin student and have a student ID, you can get into academic buildings during restricted hours (which is super nice!). My favorite study spot is in the building that I’ve had most of my classes in. Just choose the building you think you would feel most comfortable in, touch your ID card to the sensor in front of the building’s celebrated entrance, and settle down to study in your favorite part of the building. While these buildings are available to students at all hours, be careful if you are there after midnight alone, as there usually are not very many people around.
Gregory Gym
While a gym is the last place you would probably think of when searching for a study spot, Gregory Gym is an excellent option. There are many tables throughout the interior of the gym, and walking in wearing workout gear is not an expectation! Grab your textbooks and computer and head on over to the gym! They are open between 6am and 1am on Mondays-Thursdays, 6am to 10pm on Fridays, 8am to 10pm on Saturdays, and 10am to 1am on Sundays. Bonus: if you get really stressed during your study session at Gregory, you can put your backpack in a locker and get a quick workout in!
Bennu Coffee
This cafe is a bit further away from campus, but is a great place to study at odd hours (or to pull an all-nighter). They are open 24 hours/day, seven days per week! The cafe has great snacks, many of which are priced pretty reasonably. This spot is extra convenient if you or one of your friends has a car (or if you are in the mood for a nice walk).
Hopefully these recommendations will prove useful, both as you head towards finals season and over the course of your future semesters as a UT Austin student!