Best Places to Study on Campus
By: Talia Walters ‘20
I always tell myself that I can study in my bed, which I know isn’t true, and then I end up falling asleep ten minutes later having got nothing done. If this sounds like you, you might want to look into a new study spot on campus, just so you’re not constantly sacrificing your productivity. Below is a curated list of 8 unique places on campus that I feel like most people don’t remember. So go and stop by between classes – you might just find your new favorite study spot!
If you like libraries… Mudd Hall Library of Philosophy
Located on the top floor of Mudd Hall, the Library of Philosophy is genuinely something out of Harry Potter. It’s a huge library full of the best works from famous scholars and philosophers with huge stained-glass windows and hanging chandeliers. What I’m saying is that it’s big fancy. They have long tables for multiple people to work (though I wouldn’t recommend group work unless you want a librarian shushing you) and hefty chairs that make you feel like you’re just doing working in your big office. It’s especially great if you’re writing a paper that needs philosophical references; their catalog of old and new philosophical texts is enormous. This library tends not to be too crowded since most people flock to either Doheny or Leavey anyways, so you’re always likely to find a place to sit. They don’t have very expansive hours, but if you have some time between classes during the day, it might just be the perfect place to get some stuff done.
If you like noise… Lobby of New Annenberg
I think a lot of people sleep on the study area that is New Annenberg. There’s tons of tables and chairs not just in the lobby, but all the way up on all five floors of the building. If you walk down hallways, you’ll find more tables and chairs and even whiteboards with their own markers so you can write out your work if you need to. It’s a little loud since there are so many people coming in and out and so many things happening in that building. However, if you like listening to music or having the TV on in the background while you study, this is a great place to study. They have that large screen that spans almost the entirety of the building with news feeds and updates from Twitter and Instagram so you don’t have to check your own feeds while you study, and Illy Café is conveniently located directly in the lobby in case you’re sick of getting the same order at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. It’s a great place to sit down and feel like you’re in a coffee shop without the constant temptation to buy a muffin.
If you need coffee… Coffee Bean in the Cinema School
My opinion: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is better than Starbucks, and no, you can’t change my mind. Another opinion: the cinema school is one of the prettiest buildings on campus, and no, you can’t change my mind about that either. The cinema school’s CB&TL is the perfect intersection of beautiful environment and nonstop coffee that makes it an ideal study spot. They have tables outside and chairs and benches inside so that you can study there at anytime or in any weather. It’s usually fairly quiet unless you’re there when people are leaving and going to classes. If you sit outside, you might even get the occasional tour group stopping by (remember to yell fight on to your friends!). It’s a great, peaceful spot to get your caffeine fix before hitting the books.
If you need a chalkboard… Rooms in VKC
Now, I can’t encourage you just to sequester a room in VKC while people aren’t using it; in fact, I don’t think I’m technically allowed to recommend doing it. But, I’m just saying, it’s not a bad idea. A ton of rooms in VKC aren’t in use all day every day, and it gives you a classroom feel but the peace and silence of studying on your own. Plus, the blackboard helps you to write out all of your thoughts, whether you’re studying Calculus or Spanish. My warning is that sometimes you’ll get kicked out, either by a class, someone who reserved the room for an event, or by IT people who reset the rooms every evening, but it’s worth it for the ability to sit at a school desk and get work done. And if that happens, you can always move to the VKC library that’s in the basement of the building! If you’re looking for a place to write out your ideas on the board then check to see if any rooms in VKC are open!
If you want to be outside… Founders Park
On beautiful days, the grass is truly greener on this side of campus in Founders Park. If you’re inspired by the sounds of nature or are greatly lacking on your vitamin D intake, then why not take a stroll through the grassy “hills” of campus and hang out in Founders Park for a little bit. It’s a perfect balance of the hustle and bustle of campus as people walk and ride by on their way to class and a quiet sanctuary of chirping birds and fluttering butterflies. They’ve recently added these red lawn chairs out of the lawn, which makes it even easier to justify sitting outside and enjoying the SoCal weather a little bit while you’re trying to study. You can even head out with some snacks and friends in tow and make a little picnic/study date out of it if you’re looking for a real aesthetic study space. So go out, stop and smell the roses, and then get back to studying for your O Chem midterm that you know you have.
If you want to be in a community… Basement of Leavey
This one isn’t the most surprising or unknown place on campus, but if you work best in an atmosphere of everyone being in the same boat as you, then it’s the perfect place to set up camp for the night. It genuinely feels like times stops in the basement of Leavey, and as people come and go, everyone shares the same general dread of midterm season and frantic studying energy as you do. There’s a certain level of camaraderie among students who have decided to lock themselves in the library for the evening, foregoing sleep in favor of a good grade, a better presentation, or an edited paper. Late at night, most of the rooms are unbooked and open (as long as no one is sleeping in them), so you have access to whiteboards and TVs to broadcast your work to the entire room. If you’re looking to study with a community of people who all are really feeling the middle of the semester blues, Leavey’s basement is the place to look!
If you’re looking for pretty buildings… Fertitta Hall
Fertitta is the business school that’s located over by South Residential Colleges and the Widney Alumni house. It’s one of the newest buildings on that side of campus and it shows; the inside is shiny and new while the outside matches the now commonplace gothic architecture that USC prefers. There’s a ton of space inside and outside for studying, so no matter what mood you may be in, it’s a great place to just sit and work. It really only houses business classes, so if you need to get away from your usual surroundings of the Engineering Quad or Taper Hall, this is good change of pace. They have a cafeteria with a bunch of different types of food inside in the lobby, which means it’s easy to take that absolutely necessary lunch break you’ve been looking forward to since you got out of class. And if none of those foods tickle your fancy, it’s right on the edge of campus, meaning it’s within short walking distance of some campus favorites like Wing Stop and Chipotle. It’s a solid study space that few people use, so take advantage of the pretty, collegiate looking buildings!
If you’re looking to late-night study… Starbucks in Café 84
While the hours for this Starbucks are still somewhat up for debate (my roommate and I got kicked out at 2:40am one time during finals week?), it’s the coffee shop that’s open the latest with expansive study space both downstairs and in Kings Hall upstairs. It really fuels the late-night study cycle we all know so well — study until you’re tired, drink coffee until you’re awake, go back to studying, repeat. They have a ton of seating, though it is a popular space late at night so get there early to get prime seating for you and your study friends. The outlets are a little few and far between since the space used to be a dining hall (information for those of you that never got the luxury of going to Café 84), so that might also end up being a problem, but it’s worth it if you need a coffee-shop-like environment to study but it’s 4am because you forgot about the paper that’s due tomorrow.
No matter where you study, as long as you’re getting work done, then it’s a productive space! However, if you feel like you’re not getting as much done as you need to be or if you think the environment around you may be hindering your studying or learning, then it might be time to try out a new location. It doesn’t hurt to mix it up every once in a while, so if you’re feeling stagnant try somewhere new! If you still have study questions, make sure to check out the other two articles in this study series: Best Methods for Studying and Best Resources for Studying.
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