With finals approaching, students are on the hunt for quiet places to work and finish group projects. In the Central Academic Building there are many spots for them to hunker down and prepare. Study rooms on campus accommodate the needs of all types of students.
Michelle Anguiano, an academic success coach, offered some tips for the ideal setting.
She says students often think about studying at home, but it can have many distractions. So it’s important to study in a place similar to the testing environment, like an empty classroom — preferably the same one where the student’s exam will take place.
“Basically, it’s just finding a space where there are minimal to no distractions, a place that is quiet and conducive to studying,” Anguiano said. “Making sure that in that space students have all their study supplies, notes cards, materials with them so that they are productive during their study session. Listening to instrumental music or ambient sounds can also sometimes be helpful in creating a study mood.”
The 12 study rooms in the library can be reserved for students working on individual or group projects. It is especially helpful for group projects because of the dry erase boards, outlets and wall-mounted LCD monitors.
The family study room is useful for parents looking for a place to work and keep their children entertained. The larger room includes toys and games for children.
The library’s policy on speaking is to maintain a low whisper, but for some students, that just isn’t enough tranquility. The library provides a large 24-by-24-foot silent study room in Room 202N.
The room features two PCs, plenty of seating area, six tables, a soft shutting door and a policy that requires zero speaking. The study room is also a space the library uses for group events, so make sure to check the schedule on the floor to know when it’s available.
But the library is not the only place to cram.
Marketing major Amber Ramirez likes to study where there are not a lot of people but where it isn’t too quiet, so she prefers the third floor of CAB by the computers.
Biology major Karla Tapia echoed the words of Anguiano, the academic success coach.
“Definitely in a chill atmosphere and not at home because I get too distracted,” Tapia said. “I like the psychology lab because I’m familiar with the room and there’s a coffee machine.”
Communications junior Julia Ridenour recommends a less-trafficked area of CAB.
“I really like to study on the fourth floor of CAB,” Ridenour said. “There are tables up there and very few people go up there, so it’s easy to stay focused.”
Library hours are 1 p.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m.-6 p.m Saturday.
Students can reserve one of the library’s 12 study rooms by clicking ‘Study Room Reservations’ on the A&M-SA library homepage.
