Study? The Best Places to Study at UF

Best Places to Study at UF

My daughter, like every other college student, has her own way of studying. She does not like to study in a group but prefers a quiet spot to read and re-read and re-re-read the material. If she comes across a concept or word she does not understand, she stops and looks it up before moving forward. Many times, she’ll don her Beats headphones to block out any background noise. Her preference is sitting either at her desk or in her bed but, while on campus at UF, she can often be found in the library.

At some point, every student needs a few alternate destinations for a good but different place to study. You know that old “change of scenery” mnemonic! Fortunately, there are quite a few places to study on and off the UF campus. The most obvious place, as noted above, would be one of the seven libraries. Have your student check the hours before settling in; library hours are often extended as students are preparing for finals. And if it’s time for your student’s study habits to include some tutoring, now is the time to check out our Tutoring Can Help blog.

It’s important to note that not all campus parking lots have their restrictions lifted during reading days — only “Any Decal,” “Orange,” and “Scooter” spaces are unrestricted. During finals, however, restrictions in “Any Decal,” “Orange,” “Green,” “Red,” “All Red,” and “Scooter” parking spaces are all lifted. That’s not open parking by any means, but that does mean there are more parking options available during finals.

Did you say nap pods and therapy dogs?

HaveUHeard that UF has a new wellness committee that will be bringing nap pods, pedal desks, and other technology to its libraries to help offset student burnout? Smathers Libraries will have uniform wellness events scheduled among all the libraries during testing weeks. These events include meditation sessions, therapy dog visits, yoga classes, and crafts. Its long-term goals also include spreading wellness resources, like pedal desks and nap pods, to all Smathers libraries on campus. The two nap pods at the Health Science Library are massage chairs with an egg-shaped dome that can be pulled over the chair to block out outside light. Once encased, users can put on supplied noise-canceling headphones that play meditative music. The user selects the nap length and the music on the panel in the chair’s arm.

Study On Campus…

Library West– The largest of all of the libraries, it has over 1400 seats and 18 group study rooms, which may be reserved online; some of these study rooms have screens to show powerpoints/videos and a whiteboard for group collaborations. There is a designated quiet floor (the fourth floor), and graduate study space and carrels. It also has six ProctorU testing carrels and even a Starbucks. Be sure to check out the basement if you like things quieter.
Marston Library — This is another popular study place for students, with over 2100 seats and 24 study rooms. The 3rd and 4th floors tend to be quieter, but they don’t have a lot of electrical outlets. Some students prefer Marston Basement for its plentiful outlets, but it’s not as quiet. Students can reserve a study room ahead of time on their smartphones by using D!BS through the library website. Silent study areas may be found on the 4th and 5th floors.
Norman Library – This is officially known as the Education Library. It is never really busy, is always quiet, and offers a computer lab, additional seating capacity, electrical outlets, and study rooms.
Newell Hall — UF’s newest 24/7 collaborative study center. It has 400 seating options with electrical outlets on almost every piece of furniture. It even has an Au Bon Pain Bakery that is open 24/7. Starve a fever, feed a studying student?
Dorm study lounges – Most dorms are equipped with a dedicated study area.

…and Off-Campus

Some apartment complexes are now adding study lounges and computer labs. Not all have this feature, but it’s well worth asking about when considering Off-Campus Living.

Pascal’s Coffeehouse – Located on NW 16th Street. A lot of students like studying here, if for no other reason than it is named after a 17th Century mathematician, scientist, philosopher, theologian, psychologist, and inventor. Well, that and the authentic coffee experience they serve up.
Coffee Culture — Located at 2020 NW 13th. A very friendly, occasionally quirky staff serve coffee and baked goods (including GF, DF and Vegan) in a cozy environment. Public computers are available for use as well, with easy parking.
Starbucks – Starbucks has always been a go-to place to study, even when my daughter was in high school. Free wifi and two locations — on 13th and 16th, Archer and Downtown
Frosty Fox – Located at 3265 SW 34th St Ste 2, Frosty Fox is an Asian Boba and build-your-own-drink place that goes beyond tea and coffee to slushes, mocktails, and fluffs. They also serve egg puffles for brain fuel.
Maude’s Café – This coffeehouse with a cool, arty vibe is located in downtown Gainesville. Plenty of specialty brews and fresh baked goods are on hand.
Volta Coffee, Tea & Chocolate – Located in Downtown. Serving specialty coffees, teas, espresso, and drinking chocolates, you’ll often see students with their laptops sitting at the counter or a table doing their studying.
CYM Coffee Co @ Cymplify – Located on 8th Avenue, serving java, brews, and light fare in a cozy, library-like setting. Very chill, with a lot of tables and couches for studying.
Wyatt’s Coffee — Located in Downtown on SE 2nd Avenue, best known for its Florida Roasted coffees and hand-blended teas. A great place to feel a part of Gainesville doings even when your nose needs to be in your books.

Portable Study Aids

Chegg Study is a great tool for help with homework. Learn from step-by-step solutions for more than 2,500 textbooks in Math, Science, Engineering, Business, and more. Also, get answers in a pinch from experts and subject enthusiasts for your courses, 24/7. Stay ahead in your classes with Chegg Study for $14.95/month or $99.95/year.
EasyBib by Chegg – With EasyBib Plus, students can use the plagiarism checker to find missing citations, and fix them before submitting their paper. Also, easily catch writing style and grammar errors with easy-to-understand explanations on how to improve their writing for next time. No matter what citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago etc.), EasyBib Plus will help create the right bibliography. Right now, students get a 3-day free trial of the product.
Grammarly’s mobile keyboard is the personal editor you can take with you wherever you go. It’s the best plagiarism checker & proofreader.

For more study help and hints, read our Tutoring and Best Apps for Students blogs.

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