Top Ten Study Spots

The city of Boston has so many interesting venues, museums, schools and colleges and things to do that it can become easy to forget why students attend Boston University in the first place: to go to school. Studying when the lure of the city calls can be a drag, but luckily, there are a variety of intriguing study spots on- and off-campus to make the grind a little more enjoyable. Here are some of the Daily Free Press staff’s favorites.

1. Boston Public Library: BPL is an ideal study spot if you’re looking to break free from the BU bubble while also pretending you’re at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Revered for its perpetual silence and air of knowledge and history, BPL is ideal for some serious studying. Its convenient Boylston Street location also gives study-ers an excuse to take a break and head to one of the many eateries around Boston’s Back Bay.

Take the Green Line inbound toward Park Street and get off at the Copley stop.

1. Top Floor of Student Village Two: For those who prefer to study with a view, head to the 26th floor of StuVi2 over on West Campus. The room is usually quiet, and study-ers can gaze at the Charles River from the windows while cramming for that Economics final.

Take the BU Shuttle to StuVi2 or the B-train on the Green Line to Pleasant Street.

1. The Frederick S. Pardee Management Library in the School of Management: Although relatively crowded during Finals Study Period, SMG’s Pardee Library is dead silent the rest of the year. Each cubicle has its own outlet for charging laptop batteries, plus there’s a Starbucks in the building. What more could you want?

Take the BU Shuttle or B-train on the Green Line to Blandford Street.

1. Trident Booksellers and Café on Newbury Street: Take the Green Line Hynes Convention Center to go to Trident Café on Newbury Street for a chance to study while eating delicious food. Besides having some killer sandwiches and coffee on its menu, Trident Café is equipped with free Wi-Fi and has tables located near outlets, essential for a long day of studying. Feel free to take a break and browse through the hundreds of books available or start your Christmas shopping early with some little trinkets from this intimate, hip spot.

Take the Green Line inbound toward Park Street and get off at the Hynes Convention Center stop.

1. Top Floor of Kilachand Hall: Pulling an all-nighter and looking for the best place to watch the sun rise in East Campus? The top floor of Kilachand Hall is the place to go. Although the abundance of windows in the study room often lets cold air seep through in the winter, watching the sun rise over the Charles River will make up for the occasional shiver. The Kilachand top floor has several large open areas, great for study groups for that big exam and movie nights on the weekends. And if you’re more of a quiet studier, Kilachand Hall has you covered too. The secluded quiet room of the top floor is always silent and provides a great view of the city.

Take the BU Shuttle to Kenmore Square or the Green Line to Kenmore.

1. Charles River Esplanade: When the weather is nice enough to study outside – which is about 3 weeks here in Boston – the Esplanade provides nature-loving students with an ideal study spot. Although there technically isn’t any Wi-Fi, rumor has it that laptops can sometimes pick up BU Wi-Fi due to its close proximity to campus. Either way, the beauty of the location is a good antidote to the ugliness of studying.

Walk over the footbridge near the BU Beach to gain access to the Esplanade.

1. Mugar Memorial Library: The social butterfly studier thrives at Mugar, which is always jam-packed with students around finals time. Buy a venti iced coffee at Starbucks in the George Sherman Union and prepare to run into everyone you know as you pretend to make notecards. But only during Finals Study Period, of course.

Take the BU Shuttle and get off at Marsh Plaza.

1. Back Court of the GSU: If you like to hear a little buzz while you work or need a bite to eat while you’re studying, walk to the back left corner of the George Sherman Union: the Back Court. It’s a bit quieter than the rest of the GSU and typically draws more students who are committed to cramming. The big windows, comfy booths and proximity to the food options in the GSU leave you with everything you need.

Take the BU Shuttle and get off at Marsh Plaza.

1. Render Coffee at 563 Columbus Ave.: If you find yourself at the BU Medical Campus, Render Coffee’s back patio provides an excellent spot for doing homework. There is free Wi-Fi, and the food and coffee are exceptional, especially for the caffeine-dependent studier.

Take the MBTA’s 1 bus from Hynes Convention Center to Massachusetts Avenue at Columbus Avenue. If you are coming from Central or West Campus, you may choose to take the Green Line to Hynes Convention Center, where you can get on the bus. You can also take the BU Shuttle to the Medical Campus and get off at 710 Albany St. or 815 Albany St. and walk on Massachusetts Avenue to Columbus Avenue.

1. Back Room of West Campus Dining Hall: Find yourself eating in the dining hall alone? Pull out a book and study while eating in West Dining Hall’s back room. People won’t judge you for eating alone if you’re doing homework, and the spot is convenient for West Campus-dwellers.

Take the BU Shuttle to StuVi2.