A Comprehensive List of the Best Campus Study Spots

by Alexis M Peters ‘20

I recently embarked on a quest to find the perfect study spot. I wanted to find a place that was perfect to set up camp for a couple of hours and chug through some homework. And if you’re like me, the two main libraries on campus just don’t cut it. They can get pretty crowded sometimes, and it just isn’t the kind of atmosphere I want for a long study session.

So, here it is: Your comprehensive list of nearly all the places to study on campus that aren’t Doheny or Leavey. Let’s hit it!

Verna and Peter Dauterive Hall (VPD)

Location: On Pardee Way hidden behind Lewis Hall

• Good if you like ambient noise
  
• Lots of places to sit
  
• Cute outdoor balconies with comfy seats
  
• Really beautiful building
  

Outlets: Yes!

Food: Cammereli Cafe (Coffee, sandwiches, and salads).

Noise: Ambient noise, but not too distracting.

Jill and Frank Fertitta Hall (JFF)

Location: On the corner of Figueroa and Exposition

• Can get pretty crowded
  
• SUPER comfy seats
  
• Um, a FIREPLACE? ‘Nuff said
  
• Rocking Chairs!
  
• Get to the third floor and snag a spot by the windows for some peace and quiet (however, the breakout rooms are for Buisness majors only)
  
• There’s the cutest little courtyard
  

Outlets: Yes!

Food: There is a cafe inside the building, but that means it always smells like sushi in there. (They serve sushi, bao, and dim sum, among Asian dishes.)

Noise: Can get kind of loud, but there’s a nice place in the back with couches that’s a bit quieter. 

VKC Library (VKC)

Location: The building with the big tower off of McCarthy Quad

• Good if you like to work at a table
  
• Smells like books!
  
• Can hide in the book stacks to study
  
• QUIET
  

Outlets: Yes!

Food: No food nearby.

Noise: QUIET.

Taper Hall (THH)

Location: On Trousdale next to 34th street

• Pretty busy, especially between classes
  
• Comfy Couches
  
• Ottomans for foot leisure
  
• Nice view
  
• Natural light from big windows
  

Outlets: Yes.

Food: No, but there are vending machines downstairs. 

Noise: Pretty noisy when people switch classes.

Old Annenberg (ASC)

Location: Across from the soccer field and Heritage Hall on Watt Way

• Good if you like to work at a table
  
• Pretty quiet
  
• Next to the field, so there is noise from there when people are out there
  
• Cutest patio spaces
  

Outlets: Yes.

Food: No.

Noise: Quiet except for the field nearby.

New Annenberg (ANN)

Location: Next to the bookstore

• Good if you need noise while you work
  
• TV sounds ALWAYS on
  
• Plush seats
  
• Table seating
  
• Food and Coffee
  
• Can pretty busy during the day
  

Outlets: Yes!

Food: Yes! (Coffee, sandwiches, and pastries.)

Noise: Very noisy.

That Spot Between the Music Buildings and the Theaters (The Music Complex)

Location: In the middle of Tapper Hall, Norris Theater, Bing Theater, Booth Hall, and The Music Complex

• Calming nature sounds
  
• Soft grass
  
• Have to move with the shade during the day because it gets HOT in the sun
  
• Not good if you need to sit at a table
  
• Literally so freaking peaceful!
  

Outlets: No (but worth it because nature).

Food: No.

Noise: SO UNBELIEVABLY QUIET.

School of Cinematic Arts (SCA)

Location: That beautiful building on 34th and Watt Way

• SO Beautiful
  
• A quaint courtyard
  
• Tranquil fountain
  
• Comfy seats on the second and third floors
• Limited spaces to sit

Outlets: Yes

Food: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf! (Coffee, sandwiches, and pastries.)

Noise: Quiet.

The Engineering Quad (E-Quad)

Location: Between Downey Way and Bloom Walk

• Beautiful scenery
  
• Peaceful fountain
  
• You can sit at a table, or in a comfy armchair
  

Outlets: USB only.

Food: No.

Noise: Low level of ambient noise.

Tutor Hall Courtyard (RTH)

Location: On McClintock across from the Gerontology building. Go up a couple of stairs to get to the outdoor patio

• Cutest courtyard behind the building
  
• Calming water sounds
  
• Beautiful fountain
  
• Lots of greenery and nature
  
• Right next to delicious food at the cafe inside the building
  

Outlets: No

Food: Yes! (Really good indian food!)

Noise: Calming white/ambient noise.

STUDY ON!

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