Katy at UBC

My second year at UBC!

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Where to Study at UBC?

January 26th, 2012 by Katy

So here’s the question – where’s the best place to study on campus? As we all know, there are certain places to study at UBC if you really want to get things done.

Personally I prefer the third floor of Koerner, because it’s open until 10pm most days and it has individual desks with a light and plugs for your laptop. It’s also a silent study floor, so if you are actually looking to work this is a good place to go. It gets really busy around midterms/exam time though, and I’ve found that peak hours are around 1-4pm in the afternoon.

I’ve also heard good things about Wood, but I’ve never been there because it’s a bit out of my way. However I have studied in the basement of the University Center, and that’s really nice. There’s a pond in the back, vending machines and tables – but the best part is that it’s always empty! A drawback is that it’s fairly out of the way for most people.

Another good one is the Law Library. Again, it’s a silent study area and it has really nice natural lighting. It depends on the time you go, but I’ve never been in the position where I couldn’t find a seat to sit. I imagine that it gets pretty busy around exam time though.

So those are some of the good ones, but what places should you avoid? I’d recommend skipping IKE, because that place is always super crowded. Obviously, no one actually goes there to study unless you’re in first year and you don’t know where else to go. It’s definitely a place to see and be seen – a lot of people use it as a social gathering place so it’s really noisy.

Another place I don’t really like is floor -1 of Koerner. It’s a group study area that’s always really busy, and it’s difficult to find a seat no matter the time of day. I also prefer an area that has some privacy, and the large tables can’t really give you that. I find it difficult to focus and get things done down there.

Finally, The Womb (above the Aquatic Center). Who goes there to study? Only go there if you plan on taking a nap, otherwise you’ll probably waste a lot of time unintentionally sleeping.

Did I miss anything?

 

 

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4 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Shannon Jan 26, 2012 at 3:49 pm

    Hi Katy,
    Interesting blog post! Have you seen this resource for study spaces at UBC? http://www.students.ubc.ca/classroomservices/informal-learning-spaces/
    Cheers,
    shannon

  • 2 Katy Jan 26, 2012 at 4:16 pm

    Wow that’s amazing! It’s like the holy grail of info for study spaces!

  • 3 Lillienne Jan 27, 2012 at 9:37 pm

    Okay, I don’t actually like promoting myself very much, but I wrote a post a couple of years ago on my favourite secret study spaces that is frankly easier to link to than regurgitate. I still like most of them!

    (Except the English undergraduate room that they took away and turned into a visiting scholars room. Like, whaaat?)

  • 4 Katy Feb 2, 2012 at 2:29 pm

    Sorry it took me so long to respond! I’ve never heard of the Beanery before – I should try studying there.