By:  Jan Bartolome

Midterm season is fast approaching (or may have already approached), and you might be unsatisfied with studying in your room. Personally, I have never been able to effectively study in my room, and I found that I had to look for other places to keep me focused on studying. Studying in your room can work really well for some, but for others, it’s nearly impossible. There are so many distractions within arm’s reach. People might make the smallest excuses to not study.

There are numerous study spots around Totem that I stumbled upon over my two years here. The most obvious spots are the designated study areas in the commonsblock. There is a silent study room located beside the front desk for the “zero-noise” studiers. For those who like a bit of noise and like to be with friends as they study, there is the group study room found right next to the entrance of the Dining Hall. A little less obvious but still well known are the house lounges. Every house has a lounge for all the residents to use. I find this to be the perfect place to study with your friends on a rainy day or on a late night study session. It’s close to home and you can still have that study environment. The dining hall is also a nice place to study after the evening rush of people trying to get dinner. While feeding your body with nutritious food, you could also be feeding your mind with knowledge from your books. It’s hard to be upset about studying while you’re eating.

Go on an adventure and discover some of your own study spots. Don’t worry about being too far from home either, because UBC has a whole range of study areas. You could find a place that no one knows about or an area with the perfect balance of quiet and loud. You are here to learn, so make learning a reason for you to explore the campus!