Students share favorite study spots
Grand Rapids Sophomore Megan Bos is a regular at Kaya Coffee House, which is where she goes at least three times a week to study for her classes.
Kaya is her primary study spot — she said she doesn’t usually do schoolwork anywhere else.
As the semester comes to an end and final exams approach, students are retreating to their favorite study spots around campus.
Alicia Daloisio said being somewhere with quiet noise levels is one of the most important elements for maintaining focus while she studies.
The Milford freshman also studies at Kaya.
“At home, I always went to coffee houses to work,” Bos said.
Bos said she prefers Kaya because it is close to campus and has late hours.
Bos said while you can hear other people working and talking at Kaya, it is not too distracting because usually there is music playing over all the noises.
Students have different preferences when it comes to noise levels in their spot to study.
Eastern Saudi Arabia senior Zumurrud Alnasser said she likes to study on the third floor of the Charles V. Park Library because of the quiet atmosphere.
“I don’t know why, but I just really like it there," she said. "It’s quieter than the second floor, and it just feels right."
Robert Hahn said he finds it difficult to study when the atmosphere is extremely quiet.
Hahn said he has tried studying at the library in previous semesters, but it did not work out well because of the lack of noise.
The Troy freshman now prefers to study in various areas around the Bovee University Center, such as basement study areas, the Down Under Food Court and the Student Involvement Center.
“I need an atmosphere where I can study with lots of people (around me) and not worry about being super quiet,” he said.
The UC is a favorite study spot for Royal Oak freshman Harrison Watts.
“Not too many people go there to study, so most of the time I have the whole room to myself, and that’s really nice,” Watts added.
While Watts said he consistently goes to the same study spots, Grace Elie, Chelsea sophomore Grace Elie said she likes to switch up her study spots based on noise level and the work she needs to accomplish.
“If it’s something I really need to concentrate on, I go the library because it’s quiet,” she said. "For regular homework, I can pretty much do anywhere.”
Royal Oak junior Kit Skoog said she goes to the library if she’s on campus already and needs to study. Otherwise, she said she generally studies at home.
Alnasser also said she often prefers to study at home. However, sometimes she comes to campus to study because there are other students studying, too.
It’s better to be around others in the same boat then studying alone, she said.
Skoog said when she is studying with a group, she likes to rent out study rooms at the library. When she is studying alone, however, she tends to gravitate toward the comfortable chairs at the library located by the windows.
“When I’m sitting in those comfy chairs, I feel more relaxed, which lets me focus and study more. I lose a lot of focus when I’m hunched over a desk,” she said.
Some students have trouble getting all their studying in before finals. Skoog said this is partly because of the moving of gentle Thursday and Friday, and partly because the warm weather makes it easy to lose motivation.
However, Skoog said she’s trying to make up for these challenges by changing things up, and studying outside.
“When it get’s really nice out, I just want to go outside and enjoy the weather,” she said.
