– Sara Quinlin
As my second semester of freshman year rolls on, I find myself growing tired of my usual study spaces. First semester, I was constantly going to the library (specifically the 18th ave. library). This is a great place, however I find it is more anxiety inducing than other options available. Many of my friends also agree that the library is just not the best place for them to be truly productive and even somewhat enjoy their work. With the winter weather in full swing, I can’t find new locations on campus to do my work outside, so I am forced to find what works for me.
I have been trying out new places and have found that dorm study areas are a great place for me to get work done. Living in Houston House, I like to use the event spaces during the weekday to do my work in a quiet location with few people. Many other dorms have places like this, or just quiet study spaces on a dorm floor. I think this option is great, especially with the cold weather. You don’t have to leave your building, but you don’t have to study in your dorm, which I know can be less productive for many students.
Another great place I like to go in between classes is either Smith lab or Scott lab. In Smith, there is a nice study area on the first floor, however this can be crowded sometimes, so I will usually go to the second floor. Here there is a bench that over looks the study area on the first floor, and around the corner is another study area (much small than the first floor.) If all of these are taken, I’ll head over to the next building and sit on one of the numerous benches in Scott lab. These options are nice because they do not have the same atmosphere as the library and are a quiet place to study.
The weekends are how I have changed up my studying the most this semester. By spending my days in the library over the weekends, I miss the opportunity to really explore the city I am living in. So, each weekend, I find a new coffee shop to go to in Columbus, sometimes downtown, the Short North, really anywhere. I usually go with my roommate and we take a COTA bus. This is a great way for me to study because I have more motivation to do my homework when I’m at a new location off campus. I feel like I am having some fun will studying, which keeps me working hard. I really enjoy going to new places, so this is a nice way to keep my experience at Ohio State fun and exciting while still staying strong academically. I definitely recommend to everyone to try and mix up where they are studying because I think this can really make a huge difference in your motivation, productivity, and just overall enjoyment at OSU.
Here is a list of coffee shops if you’re not sure where to start:
http://www.cbuscoffee.com/columbus-coffee-trail
This is a really cool website, it has tons of coffee shops you can go to, and you can even get a free t-shirt!
(Make sure to have a backup location if you plan on going to a coffee shop, sometimes they are pretty crowded and you can’t find a seat!)