Where Do You Like to Study?

But before we start on optimal study-spaces, please allow me one moment to aggressively repress this strange urge to post photos I took over fall break. Rainbow displays on Rodeo, lens flares over the Santa Monica Pier, plates upon plates of SUSHI? No. Focus. Okay. I can do this. How about a rain-check? Okay, I think we can agree that it would be more productive for me to move on at this point, with the knowledge that I will eventually post about fall break, just not this week. Or the next. Or the next.

So, what was I trying to say earlier, just before my photojournaling impulse (likely cultivated by the the ever-addictive social media demon that is Instagram) took over? Ah. Study spaces.

If I lived near the Getty Center, I would study there all the time! :] (See what I did there? Man, I have no will power.)
If I lived near the Getty Center, I would study there all the time! :] (See what I did there? Man, I have no will power.)

Today, a brief exchange brought to my attention how important environment becomes when we students are in a vulnerable state, such as that in which we often find ourselves while doing schoolwork. The exchange occurred near the  fountain at  Smith Campus Center, where my friend and I were standing sadly upon finding out that the smores-flavoured challah was sold out for the night. (Oh yeah— some cool Pomona students sell challah bread for a good cause, and it’s really quite tasty!). It went something like this:

Daniel: Do you want to go to the library to study?
Me: Huntley?
Daniel: Honnold.
Me: Oh yeah, Huntley is the bookstore. Well, do you work in ambient noise, or silence?
Daniel: Ambient noise, but I can work in silence, too!
Janice: Why don’t we just study in there? *Points to the Coop Fountain*
Daniel: No… it’s too bright for me.
Janice: True, the colors and lighting scheme can be a bit garish and aesthetically intrusive… But there’s always a dull chatter going on that makes me strangely productive.
Daniel: It’s just… too bright.
Janice: The library is bright too, though. And it’s so far!
Daniel: But Esther is there!
Janice: Okay fine let’s go.

So, most of that information seems superfluous at the moment, and it probably is. However, do you see the dilemma when it comes to choosing a spot to study? Unlike the lucky souls who feel most comfortable studying in their rooms, I find my room either too messy, or too close to good company for working. I often opt for the Coop Fountain, because the dull chatter and radio-esque background music, along with the ever-present option of taking a food break, is comforting. When I venture into quieter spaces, such as the upper floors of Honnold-Mudd library, my NNT* kicks in and I end up in an extended headdesk when I could have been doing work. The point is, there are many different types of students that demand different environments in which to study, so I’ve compiled a list below of just a few (of the many, many, many) study-spaces open for biz in Claremont. Feel free to comment about the extra-nice places I’ve missed! (Or refrain, in hopes that your secret place will never be discovered by other students.)

*Near-Narcoleptic Tendency — an abbreviation that is increasing in necessity as the semester progresses

  1. Your dorm room:
    It can be quiet, you can lock the door and isolate yourself from the outside world (with the exception of your roommate if you have one—or two—, but hopefully you guys have worked out some type of schedule or system to avoid major conflicts), and you can plop down into your bed at any time for a nap! That last option can be dangerous, so make sure to brew yourself some coffee, or tape your eyelids open.
  2. The lounge:
    I’m pretty sure all Pomona residential buildings on campus have a lounge, and yours probably offers a nice assortment of comfortable chairs, couches, ledges, benches, tables, and pianos to choose from. I personally love working in the lounge, but only between the hours of 3 and 5 a.m. Why? Because every other time of day, there are friendly faces walking in and out, engaging you in conversation that, in that moment, will seem significantly more important than your schoolwork. Sometimes (way more often than is normal, for sure), there’s a musical prodigy practicing the piano, coaxing tears from your eyes onto your problem set. Sometimes, someone is baking or cooking something in the kitchen that smells AMAZING, making you second-guess the amount of snacking material you’ve brought along for the study sesh. Basically, the lounge is great, but also like an obstacle course in some ways. Arm yourself with noise-canceling headphones and a stoic glare directed at your laptop screen.

    Dat early-evening view through the big glass doors of Lyon lounge.
    Dat early-evening view through the big glass doors of Lyon lounge.
  3. Honnold-Mudd Library
    Admittedly, the library is an awesome place to get productive. The first floor is always bustling with busy-ish college students sipping coffee, or collaborating on cool projects, and now, you can do the same! As you go upstairs, things start to look a little more studious, until you reach the fourth floor, where perpetual silence hangs dense in every corner, between every stack, under every desk. It’s pretty chill, until you rustle your granola bar wrapper… Anyway, I urge you to check out every floor, nook, and space until you find the perfect place to suffer in whichever degree of silence you feel most comfortable with.
  4. The Coop Fountain
    As mentioned earlier, this little fast-food-meets-café-type on-campus eatery is a chatty place where you and your laptop can stay holed up for the day. Sustenance and one long, super-accessible power strip—what more do you need?
  5. The Motley
    The coffee house at Scripps! It reminds me of the über-hip coffee shops I used to visit between thrift stops back in Williamsburg (Brooklyn), and they very likely have the best espresso machine on campus. Embrace the vibe: paper mache bras line the windowsills, tapestries hang from homey brick walls, and cool, natural light fills the space during the day. There is also some outdoor seating, and a fair share of rebellious yet PC discussion going on all around that may pique your interest.
  6. Patches of grass around campus
    Though Marston Quad is beautifully serene, there are so many patches of grass beckoning from all around the 5C campuses! Just watch out for ants and loose frisbees.

    Marston Quad: So much green!
    Marston Quad: So much green!
  7. Under the bed
    Some people have created their own study-sanctuaries by raising their bed frames to the highest setting, then setting up a nest underneath! I’ve seen extra mattresses, sleeping bags, string/twinkle lights, and even a speaker-set adorn these caves to create an epic workspace.
  8. Smith Campus Center
    It’s usually very quiet, bright, and comfortable in the Smith Campus Center. There’s air conditioning during the hot months, and even a fireplace during the “chilly” months to insinuate a sense of cozy warmth that usually necessitates that cold weather awaits outside. Since it doubles as a mail room on one end, you may experience short bursts of noise during your time there. On the bright side, you can check your mail whenever you want, and it’s close to three different places from which to get food!
  9. Random Academic Buildings
    Hey, I bet you thought the Mudd Science Library was just where you went for your calc class! There are many academic buildings that offer great seating-table-outlet combos for us to take advantage of. Lincoln is nice, and if you’re feeling extra college-studenty, the “outdoor classroom” near Crookshank is a wonderful option.
  10. The Last Drop, and other coffee shops off campus
    Starbucks, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Jamba Juice, Yogurtland, and many more mainstream pseudo-eateries welcome students into the Claremont Village, but my personal favorite is The Last Drop, which is but a block away from Wig dorm! Offering a variety of sugared espresso drinks, soup-du-jours, and small food items that can be mix and matched into an extended meal, it’s a solid place to plant your focus for a lazy afternoon.

    Hearty soups compliment the experience of paper-writing quite well! And no, that is not facebook open in the background.
    Hearty soups compliment the experience of paper-writing quite well! And no, that is not facebook open in the background.
  11. The Cube
    For the brave souls up for venturing onto Claremont McKenna’s campus, and asking a CMC student to swipe you into “the cube” (like, from Transformers?), this mysterious and moated glass encasement is an interesting place to do work. Though at night, you can’t really see what’s going on outside the brightly-lit box of wonder, keep in mind that you’ll always be on display for passerby to see. It’s also pretty cold inside, but if you’re like me and relish the feeling of numbing appendages or shivering, it’s perfect.

    Wow, enchanting! #nofilter
    Wow, enchanting! #nofilter
    A terribly executed, low-res, pano of the Cube looking extra lively!
    A terribly executed, low-res, pano of the Cube looking extra lively!

     

And with that, I will end the list! Although there are many wonderful study-spots on campus yet to be acknowledged, I feel that their tranquil aura would be corrupted with such a public announcement of their whereabouts. So readers, explore! Venture beyond the bounds of your comfort zone, and perhaps you will find a peace you never thought could exist uninterrupted on a college campus.