Places to Study at Penn State

I know we're all in summer mode right now, but some of you might be wondering about how and where you might study when classes start in...let me check...54 days!

This campus is full of quiet places for times when you are feeling overwhelmed by work and don't want to be in your room. Close to home for those of you living on campus are the study lounges that can be found in every dorm. Check with your RA for exact locations of the lounges in your building once you get to campus.

Whether you want to study with 6 of your loudest friends or by yourself in silence, libraries are always a good option. Our main library (which consists of two parts - Pattee and Paterno) is full of group study spaces. These rooms can be reserved ahead of time and all come with large tables and other helpful study equipment. Stop by here to find out more.

If you're looking for a quieter spot, you can find individual desks (some with computers) in the stacks area of the Pattee side of the library, and more tables and computers in all of the special subject libraries on the Paterno side. For those of you who like Harry Potter (and for those of you who don't), there is a huge, very quiet room on the second floor of Pattee that some people think looks like the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It might make studying for that Econ exam a little more fun.

The HUB is also a great place to study. It's best for groups, since it can get pretty loud, but lots of comfortable chairs, tables, coffee, and food make the noise worthwhile. Also, while the weather is warm at the beginning of the semester, lots of students take advantage of both the HUB lawn and the Old Main lawn. That's always a good way to go, since it's easy to slip in a game of frisbee between assignments.

Downtown is full of good study locations - Webster's Bookstore on S. Allen St., Irving's on College Ave., the Schlow Library on the corner of Beaver and Allen, Panera at that same intersection, and Saint's Cafe on Beaver are all great choices (among many others!).


This blog entry was written by Ruth Parrish (Orientation Staff for Fall 2008) for Fall Orientation 2008.