My Favorite Places on Campus {Studying Edition}

As much as we'd all like to pretend college is fun and games, it's not, and you're going to need to do a lot of studying throughout your time at Elon. You can try studying in your dorm room or common room, but chances are, you won't get much work done there. I love everyone on my floor, so sitting in the common room or the study room connected to the common room doesn't work for me-- my friends always walk by and it's impossible not to get interrupted.

Here are my favorite study spots:

• Global Commons
• The Great Hall is huge and has several tables and comfy chairs. The tables even have outlets right on them, so you can easily charge your devices. The chairs at all the tables are cushioned impeccably well, too, so you certainly will be comfortable. This hall was originally meant to be social, but it's generally very quiet. It is not designated silent, but at times it seems that way when it's not that crowded. It's definitely quiet enough to study, but at times there will be obnoxious people in there who talk really loud, and the room is huge and echoes badly. So if you're looking for a completely silent place, the Great Hall isn't it. (Perk- Great Hall is open 24 hours and in the same building as a cafe)
• Second and third floor of Global Commons are conference rooms and common areas with tables. These are generally quiet and a great place to study, especially if you want to get away from the crowds in the library and Great Hall. 
• The Computer Room is located adjacent to the cafe, Argo Tea, on the first floor of Gloco- our loving nickname for Global Commons haha. There are some chairs and a table in this room, as well as four computers and a printing station.

• The Library
• Not my favorite, by any means, but worth mentioning. I cannot get comfortable in the library. Third floor is completely silent, and I feel awkward if I even breathe or unzip my backpack. If you're sick and you cough, even just once, prepare for stares of death.. Second floor is quiet- you're to talk in a hushed tone there- and I'm fond of that atmosphere, but don't find the seating and tables comfortable for long periods of work.
• First floor of the library has been recently refurnished, and I find the chairs and tables in the Writing Center area nice. (Note: you don't need to be getting help from the Writing Center to use their tables-- they will only ask you to move if all the other tables in the WC are full, which is rare) First floor is rather social, though, so don't expect it to be that quiet. 
• The library is open 24 hours.

• Lindner Reading Room
• This room is on the first floor of the Lindner Academic Building, in the Academic Village. It looks similar to a room from Harry Potter, so it's dubbed the Harry Potter Room. It's completely silent. There are some large leather chairs that are super comfortable if you have a lot of reading to do and want to feel at home. The lighting isn't the greatest in this area--it's kind of dim--but if that doesn't bother you, I highly recommend this space. Note that there are blinds that can be opened, so if you open them during the day you receive adequate light. Only at night does it get kind of dark. (Perk- this room is near all of the academic buildings, so if you need somewhere to study between classes, this is the place. There is no printing station here, though.)
• You must swipe into the building before 8 PM I believe, but once you are there, you can technically stay as late at you want/need.

• Numen Lumen Pavilion
• Oasis Room: This room is located on the second floor on the Numen Lumen Pavilion, and feels and looks just like your living room at home. There's a dock for your iPod, a flat screen TV, bean bags, a shelf of board games, etc. It's meant to be more of a hangout than a study room, but it's generally really quiet since people don't use it that often. Whenever I'm nostalgic for home while doing homework, this is where I go. 
• Study Rooms: There are also a few individual study rooms in this building. They're really small without windows and seem like glorified closets to me, but if you like having a space all to yourself, these are for you.

• Acorn Coffee Shop
• Acorn is open until 1 AM every night- err, morning- so it's a perfect place for late night studying, especially since you have food and coffee access at your fingertips. The coffee shop is kind of small, but there will generally be a chair or table open you can work at. It's a very social and bustling environment. I need to study in quiet, but if I'm just doing something that doesn't require much brainpower and I need a change of scenery, I go to Acorn.

• Oak House
• Very similar atmosphere to Acorn. I think the interior is slightly nicer-- the chairs are more comfortable and there are more tables. The only downside is they are not open as late as Acorn, and it's a bit louder. (They have an awesome playlist of music that's always on, which is great, but can be a distraction if you're trying to read)

Honorable mentions: Irazu Coffee Shop (located in Moseley Student Center), Along Lake Mary Nell or Lake Verona (bring a large blanket and do your work while enjoying the beauty that is Elon's campus! But beware for bees and wind that will blow your papers into the lake.. sadly, yes, that did happen to me lol), and in any classroom on campus. (if you live in the Global Neighborhood, I highly recommend you take advantage of the beautiful classroom on the first floor of your building!!)