Us Rice students are well known for one activity: studying. We are academic weapons, addicted to the grind, champions of cram sessions and masters of last-minute study sessions. One question haunts our mind, morning and night, whether it’s midterm season or not: “Where should I study ?”. For this reason, I believe it is crucial to address this query that so many Rice students spend hours pondering.
STEP 1: IDENTIFY THE INTENSITY OF YOUR STUDY SESSION
The FIRST STEP in finding your ideal study spot is identifying the intensity of your study session. If you’re facing a heavy workload day with three single variable calculus II homework sets, a Spanish quiz, a documentary to edit, and a bridge to build using Matlab programming (this slightly specific example is inspired from my freshman year self), and you desperately need deep concentration, I would recommend finding a quiet environment where it’s easier to focus.
In this scenario, Fondren Library is a good choice for a peaceful study setting. Depending on how silent you wish your study session to be, you can adjust your floor level. Fondren’s first floor is the least quiet and the noise level decreases even more as you go up each floor. During my first semester at Rice, I was afraid of studying in Fondren’s 6th floor as I heard tales about its extreme silence.
Rumor had it that you shouldn’t breathe too loudly, as other students would hear this, and you would receive stares. I even heard that if you tried to take a pen out of your pencil case, you’d get judgemental glances. Obviously this was slightly exaggerated and I slowly figured out that breathing and pen-retrieval are allowed. Fondren also offers the possibility to reserve a study room if you would rather isolate yourself to work.
To summarize, if you crave serene silence for intense focus, Fondren is a safe option.
STEP 2: WHO ARE YOU?
What type of person are you? What’s your vibe? Do you get sleepy easily? Some people who get easily tired from doing their homework might need a more vibrant atmosphere like a coffee shop. You might want to consider Chaus (bonus: it has affordable drinks, good music and is nicely decorated), Audrey’s which is located at the Jones Business School, or Brochstein which is in front of Fondren.
I personally tend to get distracted at Chaus, but it is a great place to study aesthetically (If you do decide to go, I recommend ordering a matcha latte with white chocolate and honey with oat milk and bringing headphones).
STEP 3: THINK ABOUT HOW FAR AWAY YOU ARE FROM THIS STUDY SPOT
Here’s another factor to ponder about: distance. Over the summer, I thought it was smart to embark on a daily 30-minute expedition to Starbucks in Rice Village every day right after my classes. I would then order a drink, grab a seat, and dive into my studies. Usually, I would get there late enough so at the end of the day I would only have studied around 2 hours or less.
Unless you’re light on homework and don’t have any pressing tasks, I wouldn’t recommend a one-hour trip just for a study spot. But on days when your workload is lighter, and you’re looking for a change of scenery, going to Rice Village occasionally for studying could be fun.
STEP 4: MENTAL STRENGTH
The question “Where should I study” can be taken literally, but it can also be addressed differently. Finding the perfect study spot could be less about picking a location and more about your mindset. Whenever I find myself asking the question of where I should study, it is sometimes a way of procrastinating and dodging the actual work waiting for me.
Asking myself this question is usually a sign that I lack motivation to work on something and I need to be in an environment that motivates me. Perhaps instead of asking ourselves “Where should I study?” we should be asking “How can I motivate myself to study and awaken the dormant academic warrior in me?”. It could be a change in scenery or studying with friends.
Here’s a PDF of this blog in a p r e t t i e r f o r m a t: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QlKsDNTLeqt4I0IK1LMhC-KtTDiSPbOqQA_PkksS2Kw/edit?usp=sharing