No Matter How You Study, Barnard Has a Place for It

A view of Columbia from the Barnard Library

While I’d consider myself one of the Barnard Library’s biggest fans (I mean, they even have a zine collection!), some days the library isn’t where I feel like studying. In high school, I never really studied in only one room, but preferred to move around my house. At Barnard, there are plenty of places I can go to study and get work done depending on what I am doing that day.

If I’m looking for silence, but need a change of scenery, I like to go to the study room on the third floor of the Diana Center. There are large windows there, so it’s pretty bright and great for keeping me awake. As is the coffee from Liz’s Place, also located in the Diana Center. There are some comfy chairs there also, if I’m not in the mood to sit at one of the desks or tables, which is often. (If I’m studying in my room, I almost always preference my bed, over my desk, so the non-desk options often win me over.)  



If I want to get work done, but don’t mind a little bit of noise, I usually head to the Altschul Atrium which is on the first floor of Altschul Hall, which houses most of Barnard’s science departments and labs. This space is supposed to be more of a fun, no studying zone because (there’s a foosball table!), but it’s often not very crowded and always full of light. There’s also a piano, so every once in a while, a student might come in and provide some nice studying music! 





Diana Center Reading Room. Photo courtesy
of www.dwell.com.

As a first-year, you’ll be living in the Quad, which has it’s own study room, Brooks lounge. I liked studying there my first year year. It felt very collegiate and was in the same building as my dorm room, which meant I could stay as late as I wanted (needed?) without having to think about when a building was closing or the weather outside.

 



One great thing about Barnard is that everything is relatively close together, so you can stay in the Diana Center till late and not have to worry about a long walk back to your dorm. I guess if I’m being totally honest, I liked that the Brooks lounge felt like an extension of my hall, and I could head there in pajamas and be in like company. (:





Barnard offers plenty of places that lend themselves for studying, whether they be designated “studying zones” or just somewhere you feel comfortable and productive. I’ve had fun exploring different places that work for me, and I’m sure you’ll find the space that’s best for you too!

 

Margeaux