It doesn’t need to be said that college students spend a big chunk of their time at OU studying. And one of the great things about campus and adjacent Court Street is that there are great study spots to be found all over. Indoor, outdoor, group setting, or private, every kind of student can find a nook to get their study game on.
Here are some of our favorite study spots on campus and off:
If you want to study outside…
Campus green has a bunch of great spots under big trees. It’s the perfect place to throw a blanket down and get some assigned reading in. And it’s just off Court Street, so you can grab a quick study snack uptown, head to the green, and get to it.
Emeriti Park near Ping is a pretty and tranquil place to prepare for that next exam. There are benches and a whole covered pergola by the pond, so you can study outside even when it’s drizzling.
The Siegfried Mural is also a solid outdoor spot to study. It’s also covered, and it sees a lot less foot traffic than campus greenery or Emeriti Park.
If you want some absolute silence…
If you’re looking for a corner of campus where there’s a good chance you’ll never encounter another human, it’s the stacks at Alden for us. Floors 6 and 7 are crowded with floor-to-ceiling rows of books, with little study nooks and tables around the outsides of each room.
It’s one of the easiest places to tune everything out and just focus on the task at hand. Plus, sitting next to the windows on the upper floors of Alden gives you an awesome view of the hustle and bustle at ground level.
You will have to run up and down the stairs a bit if you’re studying on the 7th floor and need to use a women’s restroom, though – it’s down on the 6th floor.
Honorable mentions: Floors 3 and 5 are good when you need a quiet place to spread out books, notes, and other material in a more spacious place than the nooks upstairs.
If you’re studying in a group…
First off, your college’s building definitely has lobbies for studying alone or in a group. And so do many of the dorms.
On the first floor of Alden, you can book conference-style rooms for group study sessions.
Front Room at Baker is a convenient spot to meet, plus you can grab a quick coffee and sandwich if you want. Whether you study in Front Room or wander the interior of Baker, you’re sure to find a good spot for a small group to study.
If you want to study off-campus…
You can almost always find people deep in a studious trance at Donkey. Another convenient mix of coffee and an environment conducive to focus, Donkey’s good for studying alone or in small groups.
Athens Public Library is another off-campus study spot where you can get some peace and quiet while taking a break from being on campus.
And, of course, there’s always your OU apartment! Kleinpenny Rentals even has student rental units with little kitchen booths, perfect for getting some study time in without ever having to leave your house. So, there’s that.
We all know how midterms and finals weeks get. Everyone’s looking for a corner to stake for themselves so they can cram for exams, so it pays to have options. Even OU’s gotten in on the game – you can now look up study spots and building access using the OHIO Study Space Locator.
Your Best Study Spot Would Be Your Comfy Athens Apartment Near the Ohio University Campus
Because of all the libraries around OU, you have quite a lot of choices when it comes to quiet study spots. From green parks to a group conference room, you can go for either an outdoor study session or one with your friends.
Off-campus options include cafes and the Athens Public Library. But we think the best option would be your Athens apartment. Studying at home can be the best way to focus on going over all the material for an upcoming midterm, in an environment that you tailored to your own preferences.
As a student, living in an off-campus OU apartment gives you the freedom to build your own schedules and routines. Although you can study at any of the school libraries, closing hours mean you might have to pack up in the middle of a study session. So, it’s a much better alternative to study at home and enter a flow state.
Beyond studies, living in an Athens apartment near campus allows you to enjoy a good social life, with all the establishments and bars around the area. That’s why most OU students choose to move out of the school dorms.
If you’re searching for an OU student rental to call home, explore Kleinpenny Rentals' available properties here. We have cozy, one bedroom apartments and sprawling multi-bedroom houses that can be the perfect place for you to build your life as an Ohio University student.