The 4 Best Study Spots on Campus

It’s that time of the year again — just as the weather begins to warm up, work begins to pile on, and students begin the migration inside to study for their final exams. Whether your first year is coming to an end or you're preparing to finally leave the 'Cuse campus, finals mark a transition from school to the freedom of summer. In order to cross the finish line, Jerk has found the best places across campus for buckling down.

1. Bird Library (aka Club Bird) The main library on campus, Bird has a multitude of study spaces for you to get down to business (or not). The bottom and basement levels are good for group projects or half-flipping through notecards while night-capping. If you really want to get work done, though, move upstairs into a cubicle. Bird also has a café called Pages, which serves mediocre coffee and meals. For a long day of studying, Bird is place to go. There is a reason why students spend hours in this place.

2. Carnegie Library For those who need absolute silence to get their studying done, this is the spot for you. Unlike Bird's false promise of "quiet," Carnegie is an actual quiet zone... as in if you are talking loudly enough, you will be asked to leave. In fact, come finals time, this library can get so quiet the occasional cough causes everyone to snap their heads up. There are outlets at every table, so you also don't have to worry about wandering around the outskirts of the library looking for a place to plug in your iPhone. The only drawback to this library is there isn't a nearby place to get coffee, which can be a real issue when its 11 p.m. and you need a triple espresso now.

3. Basement of Hendricks A relatively unknown location, the basement of Hendricks offers tables to do work without distraction. During the week, you can grab a famous Austin Powers from People’s Place or an afternoon pick-me-up snack.

4. Panasci Lounge The upstairs level of Schine is a perfect place to get work done in the heart of campus and the lounge remains mostly empty during the day. With access to food and coffee downstairs, Panasci is a good location to stop by in between classes to do work. Not to mention the awesome views of the Hall of Languages – talk about inspiring.

Overall, most buildings on campus offer viable study spaces to prepare for exams. When looking for the perfect location to live for the next 12 hours, make sure to find somewhere more secluded to actually get work done, and always remember, there is a light on the other side.

Photo by Adham Elsharkawi