We know you’re always busy, that you always have something to work on. Maybe you have a window of free-time between teaching a course and your evening class but your office is getting stuffy. Maybe you have a group project and you have to coordinate with your peers for a location to meet and discuss. Maybe you want to rehearse your presentation one more time.
Finding study spots can take some time, time that you might not have, to wander around the campus and explore the nooks and crannies. So, we put together the study spots on campus you should know about right away and mention for what type of work they’re best.
Library Study Rooms
On the second floor of the Paul Robeson Library, there are study rooms that are perfect for total privacy and/or group work. In each study room, there are TVs, white boards, and a video web camera. On the TVs, you can stream the library’s computer monitor or hook up your own personal laptop. The white boards are ideal for general brainstorming, creating timelines, delegating responsibilities in a group, or working on equations, formulas, and diagrams. The video web cameras are the tech you need to record yourself to create a webinar, podcast, or just practice a presentation that you can review afterward. You can retrieve your video from the library’s front desk.
Be aware that you have to reserve your room ahead of time and follow a few guidelines. You can read the library study room policy here and reserve your room here.
Library Basement
The basement is quiet, too quiet (if there is such a thing). It’s great area to be alone with your thoughts and coursework or with a serious study buddy. The Wi-Fi connection is strong and there are convenient outlets next to most of the tables.
Starbucks
There are tables inside and outside of the Starbucks in the Campus Center that make for a great spot to meet with friends, instructors, students in an upbeat environment. This is a prime location because you can grab a coffee to keep you going from the ‘Bucks, a snack from the dining hall, or quickly print at one of the printing stations on the lower level.
Campus Center, Lower Level
Although there’s the lounge and Starbucks seating in the campus center, the ground level is often busy, while the lower level is often much more quiet. There are tables that seat two people, computers/printing stations, and comfortable bean bag chairs and couches. These computers only allow your for 15-minute session so they come in handy for last-minute printing or fact-checking. If you need longer computer access, there are other places to work, such as at one of the hundreds of computers in the library or in the computer classroom in Armitage Hall. The bean bags and couches are a nice option for group discussion and are comfortable for sprawling out and getting some reading done.
Outside
Spending days cooped up in the library or stuffed-up in your office can get a little draining. Remember, graduate students need sunlight, too! (And water, not just coffee.) On days when it’s nice enough to sit outside, you’ll definitely thank yourself for the fresh air. There are picnic tables on the quad and next to the Rutgers Law School building that usually sit up to six people at a time and provide enough shade so that your screen isn’t riddled with sun glare. Depending on the time of year, there are big red lawn chairs set up outside of the Campus Center that you can set yourself up at, as well!
Even though it’s outdoors, it’s usually pretty quiet and peaceful (unless of course our landscapers are hard at work). The Wi-Fi connection still works outside; however, it’s not as strong. Outside studying is best for reviewing notes or catching up on some reading.
Empty Classrooms
If there isn’t a class happening in a classroom, it’s all yours! You can check the class schedule for a particular room on the TV monitors outside of the rooms. Classrooms allow for much larger study groups or even more than one study group working at a time in the same space. One thing a lot of graduate students appreciate? Accountability. Some people work best when they’re surrounded by the others who have their wheels turning, too.