The University of Wisconsin-Madison is one of the largest institutions in the midwest and it has exactly 43,193 students enrolled there. Due to this massive student body of individuals of a wide age spectrum, it is sometimes quite difficult to find some peace and quiet, especially when it comes to the academic portion of being in college. A lot of people tend to gravitate towards libraries, as they commonly are known for withholding the reputation of the perfect place to continue your studies outside of the classroom. However, I am personally not a fan of going to the library whatsoever, and I would much rather spend my time studying elsewhere because I have the tendency to get more material completed. Aside from the libraries on campus, here are my top five favorite places to study on campus!
5. WID
The Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery (WID building is located right off of University Avenue and North Orchard Street). Inside, they have a cute and cozy little coffee shop where you can get some delicious, hand-crafted drinks that you can sip on while you study away. If you are looking for a unique place to study or simply just hangout, they have this rainforest-plant exhibit in the middle of the WID where you can sit and feel like you are on a tropical getaway, which makes studying for exams far less miserable.
4. Grainger
Grainger Hall, also known as the School of Business building located on North Park Street and University Avenue, has the greatest café ever. With endless amounts of espresso-loaded beverages, savory soups and sandwiches, and extremely healthy salads, your mouth is guaranteed to water over all of these scrumptious options. I always grab something from here and take it with me to study in either the dining area or the opposite side of Grainger. In the dining area, it tends to be a lot louder because there are larger tables that allow for group collaboration to occur, as well as the fact that it is right by the café. As for the opposite side of Grainger, there are a lot of random study nooks and tables scattered throughout the first and second floor. These spots are suited best for studying alone or with one other study buddy due to limited room.
3. Memorial Union
The Memorial Union is one of my favorite places to go, as it is located on the corner of Langdon Street and North Park Street. Whether I am studying at the terrace, in the sunset lounge, or up on the second or third floor, I always get so much work done when I go here. My personal favorite is the sunset lounge because there are only a few tables and chairs scattered throughout the room, as well as two or three large couches. Due to the limited amount of people that can sit in there, it is often very quiet, and it is super relaxing to watch the sunset right over Lake Mendota in the evenings, hence the name of the room.
2. Education Building
The Education Building is notorious for being “the building with the big red door.” Yes, it is that huge building on the right side of Bascom Hill. If you head up through the main entrance where the red doors are located, you will be able to find a little grab-and-go convenience area, which is right off of this huge open area. Here, there are plenty of tables to work at and spread out all of your textbooks, and there are also comfy chairs with over-the-lap desks, which are super convenient if you are just using your laptop. If the weather is nice, I would highly recommend studying on the outdoor patio. Once again, there are an abundance of tables and places to complete homework, and it is extremely nice if you are able to go out there on a warm, sunny day with a subtle breeze.
1. Coffee Shops on State Street
Although, this might be a little biased due to my mega coffee and tea addiction, I am a huge fan of studying in the coffee shops and tea bars that are located on State Street. Starbucks and Colectivo are two of the most well-known businesses for coffee. These two both have a very busy atmosphere since they are quite popular, so I recommend going there if you plan on putting on some headphones or if you plan on going there during their “off hours” where they are not as busy. Aside from those two, Espresso Royale, Michaelangelo’s and Fair Trade are a few other hidden gems where they have even better beverages and bakery items. However, my personal favorite is Sencha Tea Bar. They have the best alternative-indie-folk playlist playing all day, and it is a super tiny venue, which is perfect for studying. Sencha has the best tea as well, and there are so many options to choose from, as the opportunities of mixing and matching ingredients is endless. I study here at least five times a week, if not more because the atmosphere is perfect. Just go try it yourself, and you will thank me later.
Good luck with midterms, Badgers. On, Wisconsin!
