Looking for the ideal place to study on campus can be a daunting task. With so many study rooms, lounge spaces and outdoor quads available, it is important to know which environment will best suit your preferences.

If you are someone who needs complete silence in order to get anything done, you are not going to want to hole up in a place like the main level of Bertrand Library. If you prefer to be among a steady stream of noise and movement, the library’s main level would be absolutely perfect.

In general, many people seem to gravitate toward a place that is not quite “pin drop” silent but is also not rampant with outside conversations and distractions. This descending list of the “best” study spots on campus is for this type of person.

Tied for the third best location for getting work done at Bucknell are the Commons and the Bison. For most people, it is best practice to have access to food and drinks close by for a potentially hours-long work session. This makes either of these dining areas highly desirable. It is worth noting, however, that desirability drastically declines when mealtimes roll around. That temporary swarm of people is why I place these spots near the bottom of this list. 7th Street Café would also fit into this same general category, but it does lack a lot of the natural light that the Commons and the Bison both have.

The second best place to study is in Holmes Hall, where there are plenty of open tables in the halls, classrooms or meeting rooms. There is generally a moderate amount of noise, and the large windows mean you will be getting lots of natural light as you grind out your homework. While it does not have any food options within the building, the Commons is just across the street and offers online ordering for quick pick-up so you can get back to studying in a timely manner.

Finally, the best study spot on campus, with its proximity to food and soft ambient noise, is Lower Level 2 of Bertrand Library underneath the stairs. In this area, you are just a few flights down from the Library Café, and you get the muffled sound of all of the floors above you as well as that of the area immediately surrounding you. During the day, you also get the natural light from the sky-facing windows at the very top of the staircase. Pulling up a beanbag in this space will put you in the best possible position to get in and stay in the zone until all or at least enough of your work is done and you can call it a day. 

Note: This list is entirely subjective. The best place to study on campus is up to you as the studier, and it will most likely change as you move around and explore new places on campus. In case you are the type of person who requires complete silence to focus up, you might want to look into places like the Hildreth-Mirza Humanities Center, Carnegie Building, or Willard Smith Library in the Vaughn Literature building. Welcome back to school, and happy studying!