College courses move quickly. Your first day is a syllabus day—it might even be shorter than the assigned class time—but by the next class period, you’ve already been assigned three chapters of the book and you have a paper due the following week. It doesn’t give you much time to adjust, so it’s important to find quiet places that you can go to when you need to study or crank out that paper you waited until the last minute to write. I’ve been there and these are some of my favorite places to go when I absolutely need to get work done.

Morris Library  

Let’s get the obvious out of the way. Of course the library is a place you go when you need to study. But, there are a few perfect places that I like to go when I need to hide away to get some work done. My personal favorite is at the northwest corner of the third floor, specifically in the comfy chairs instead of the tables. Very specific, I know, but I swear there is magic in those chairs that whenever you sit down in them, you can read entire novels in what seems like mere minutes. You need to bring a sweater and fuzzy socks, though, because that magic breaks when you’re shivering from the frigid library temperatures.

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The second place is the basement. I feel like people are afraid of the basement for some reason. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s out of sight, therefore out of mind, or if people just don’t know that it exists, but it’s almost perfectly silent down there, which is the perfect fuel for concentration.

SIU Student Center

Another obvious one, but too many people get stuck on the first floor of the Student Center and never wander into other corners of the building. If you really want to get work done, once again, you need to go to the basement. Most SIU students don’t even know there is a basement, despite the very large flight of stairs leading down at the back door of the building. But the basement is the perfect moody, broody atmosphere to cozy up and just get stuff done. Put some headphones in, listen to your ‘Study Jams’ playlist, sip a McDonald’s Coke, and you will have your work done in no time.

A more sunny alternative is on the second floor of the Student Center. If you go up to the row of comfy chairs in the hall with the long wall of windows, I fully believe you can accomplish just about anything. There’s a lot more traffic along this hall so if you are easily distracted, this might not be for you, but if (like me) you work better when you feel like people are keeping you accountable, the company of passersby will only help to keep you on track.

Faner Hall

Now we’ve reached some of the more unusual places where you can find a peaceful place to study on campus and Faner Hall is one of the most unusual buildings on campus. While Faner isn’t so confusing once you get to know it, students still avoid it like the plague, too afraid they’ll become forever lost in the halls. But, if you’re brave enough to venture around, you’ll find that there are plenty of little corners and rooms to hide away between classes and crank out a couple hours worth of work on a project.

However, when I want a warm, sunny place to study to feel motivated and energized, the College of Liberal Arts lounge is my go-to location. The sunshine from the lounge is incomparable to just about any other place on campus, making it the perfect place to read and write or study.

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Behind the Agriculture Building

It is no secret that SIU is one of the most beautiful campuses in the state and when the temperatures start to drop and the leaves begin to change, there is no better place to study than outside. And the best place to do that is at the picnic table behind the Agriculture Building between the building and Thompson Woods.

It’s incredibly easy to walk past and ignore but I encourage you to stop and sit there for a moment before moving on with your day. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s perfectly shaded or if it’s because it’s close enough to Thompson Woods to hear the wind in the trees, but it is the most calming and relaxing place to study on campus. Top it off with a pumpkin spice latte and you can work all day and never feel stressed.

Off Campus Bonus: Blend Tea & Crepe

Those who know me are well aware that my biggest weakness is an iced honey milk tea with bubbles from Blend. Don’t overlook this charming place when you need to get your studies done.

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