Some study spaces on campus are built for getting work done. Others? Not exactly.
Tisch Library is somewhere in between. It’s like, the “I need to get things done, but maybe I’ll just talk to my friends for ten minutes first” library. There’s enough activity around me to make me feel like I’m getting things done just by association, but it’s also easy to get distracted by someone walking by with a funny story about how their day is going.
Fletcher/Ginn Library? That’s for getting work done. If you show up to those places thinking you’re just going to check your messages real quick, the silence will shame you into actually getting work done. I get more done in an hour at those libraries than an entire day at my desk in my dorm.
Then there are the spaces that are really about being around people, not books. The Mayer Campus Center (CC) is perfect if your goal is to do simple tasks while chatting with your friends. It’s social enough that you can study and talk without anyone judging the occasional phone break. Kindlevan Café falls into the same category, but with coffee and snacks. You’ll spend half your time pretending to work, the other half people-watching or rearranging your papers for no reason, but somehow it feels satisfying.
Joyce Cummings Center (JCC) is the quiet underdog. It’s not intimidating like Ginn, but it doesn’t have the temptation of couches or giant windows to stare out of. It’s steady, efficient, and makes you feel like you actually have your life together, especially on the weekend. My dorm room? That’s another story. Every attempt at productivity is met with my bed that looks way too comfortable.
Over time, I’ve realized it’s not just about noise or comfort. It’s about knowing what I need from a space. Sometimes I need to buckle down and do actual work: Ginn, JCC. Sometimes I just need to cross off small things while staying near people: Tisch, CC. Sometimes I just need to feel like I’m working while drinking a latte: Kindlevan. And sometimes I just need to sit on my dorm floor and stare at my notes until inspiration arrives.
At the end of the day, different spaces serve different purposes, and part of learning to manage myself is learning which space works for which kind of work I need to do.