Hey friends,
As midterm season is nearly upon us, I’ve found myself spending more time studying. Like most of you, my library sessions have gotten longer and more frequent. So, naturally, I decided to shake it up and look for new study spots around and off campus. This installment is going to be a guide to my personal favorite study spots as well as new places I’ve stumbled upon.
As I sit here typing this, I’m currently settled down in the Amos Starbucks. Now, I love a good Starbucks coffee, but honestly, this is not my favorite place to study. I’m personally someone who needs a quiet environment to really absorb course material. I would rank Starbucks as more of a casual work environment where you discuss classes or non-academic-related things with a group of friends. However, I am writing this around noon, so Starbucks is naturally extremely busy right now. The early morning hours as well as evening hours are some of the quietest spots on campus. Not a lot of people are grabbing coffees in the evening, and there tend to be a lot of mobile orders in the morning, so both times of the day are relatively great for studying.
If you still want to grab a coffee and study somewhere a bit more quiet midday, the Big Idea Center on Forbes has a Saxbys and has been relatively quiet this past week. Now, I can’t speak for the majority of the school year as this is one of my new study spot discoveries. One of my friends actually suggested grabbing coffee and hanging out there, but I didn’t even know this spot existed. It’s generally set up just like a cafe but is much less popular since most coffee drinkers will be at Dunkin’, Starbucks or the Saxbys in the library.
Speaking of the Hillman Library, this has always been my go-to spot for getting work done. However, specifically around midterm and final season, it gets so packed and busy that I find it more distracting than helpful. While I love the convenient location, this is what initially prompted me to explore new spots these past two weeks. So, Hillman is definitely my top spot when the crowds have gone down. Usually, Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings are pretty desolate if you’re interested in beating the crowds.
One of my favorite new spots is the Frick Fine Arts Library. While kind of far from the middle of campus, I find this spot so peaceful that I get quite a bit of work done every time I go. The library is pretty much silent, and there’s a decent amount of seating for the space. Not to mention, you’re located in a library, so there are plenty of resources if you’re conducting research. Most people there enjoy a silent workspace as well, but you don’t have to deal with the crowds of Hillman. It does have different hours than Hillman, often closing by 7 p.m., so if you’re more into late-night study sessions, this may not be the place for you.
I also wanted to add that if you’re a visual person like myself, the Frick Fine Arts building is genuinely gorgeous. If you don’t have a class there and don’t plan on studying, I definitely recommend just walking around to look at the beautiful art pieces. Especially in the summertime, the landscape around the building adds to the atmosphere. There’s a pack of deer with babies that you will probably see if you visit the building more than once. I believe they live behind in the woods during spring, but the other day, I saw them in the middle of February, so they’re definitely out during the winter as well. There’s also a bunch of big trees lining the grassy landscape, and in the summertime, I camp out at one of the tree bases to do my work.
I don’t recommend studying in your room only because it is really tempting to get in bed, sleep, scroll on your phone or do other household chores. However, I feel like there’s an exception for people who live far from campus and need to get work done late at night. Personally, I live in Panther Hall, but that hike up the hill is not for the weak and definitely discourages me from studying on lower campus at nighttime.
That being said, my all-time favorite study spot is the Carnegie Library. There are so many possible places to study here, and all of them are relatively quiet but not silent. There’s one-person seating as well as group tables, so you could study here by yourself or with some friends. Not only are there excellent resources for papers and various types of research — there’s also a cafe on the first floor for my coffee lovers. The staff there has always been so friendly and helpful if you needed some assistance locating a specific book or resource. Although public, the majority of occupants here are students, so it feels like you’re still on campus. The library is also connected to the Carnegie Museum, which I just think is a cool additional fact. There’s actually a spot in the library where you can see down into the dinosaur exhibit.
The Carnegie Library is located right near Craig Street, which is technically off campus, but it’s not too far from home. Craig Street has a lot of great study spots, including a couple of cafes, outdoor seating and various restaurants. The Starbucks here is also just far enough off campus that it is much less busy than the two located at Pitt.
My final discovery this week in my quest to locate the best study spot was the Cathedral of Learning. You might be thinking that everyone knows this is a good spot, as the first floor is pretty much always full. However, I discovered different spots on much higher floors. I have a class on the 23rd floor this semester and recently noticed there’s some nice seating off to the side located between classrooms and next to the windows. Not only is this a great view, but it’s relatively empty. I know there is also seating like this on multiple other upper floors. Exploring the Cathedral floors could also be a fun way to distract yourself from the stress of midterms.
Although all of these spots are excellent options to study, nothing will outrank Schenley Park for me. When the weather gets nicer during finals season, my biggest piece of advice would be to take advantage of outdoor spaces. Just having the sun be your study partner can significantly improve your mental health and the experience of studying in general.
Until next time, good luck on midterms everyone!