When you find a great place to study that you love going to, studying becomes so much more enjoyable. The Louisiana State University campus is full of places to study. There are some obvious ones, like Middleton Library, and some that only upperclassmen seem to know about. We’ve uncovered the best spots to study on campus at LSU. While you might not look forward to studying, you’ll surely look forward to visiting these study locations on campus. Also, be sure to check out a few helpful study tips at the end of the post!
Middleton Library
The Middleton Library is a great place to study on campus. It’s open 24 hours, Monday–Thursday, with the exception of holidays. Many students feel this is a great place to go when you need to cram late at night for an early morning exam. If you’re writing a paper, be sure to take advantage of the librarians’ services. They can help you find resources for your works cited page and even help you refine your paper topic. Whether you need some focused, quiet study time or are studying with a group, Middleton Library is a great setting. Their amenities include single and group study rooms, a graduate reading room, a math lab, the Shell Tutorial Center, computers, Wi-Fi, and a coffee shop.
Barnes & Noble at LSU
The LSU Barnes & Noble bookstore can be a great place to study. There’s a spacious cafe inside where you can grab a hot or iced drink to sip on as you study. There aren’t typically a lot of people in the cafe, so there are minimal distractions. If you’re running short on study supplies, like pens, sticky notes, or highlighters, you’ll also be able to purchase them here.
Student Union
The LSU Student Union isn’t just a place for lunch meetups and events; it also has quiet areas great for studying. On the third floor, there’s a full computer lab with printers, and on the fourth floor, there are meeting rooms you can reserve for your study group. The union is a hub for a lot of student activity, so it can get loud and crowded at times. You should bring headphones when studying here, or reserve one of the meeting rooms for a quieter atmosphere.
Parade Grounds
The Parade Grounds are ideal if you want to study outside. This large, grassy field is picturesque and usually bathed in sunlight. When the weather cools, take a blanket and your books out to the Parade Grounds and catch up on your assigned reading. The grounds are used for tailgating on game days and are also the site of many campus events, so the spot won’t be ideal for studying on these occasions. Otherwise, enjoy the sight of the beautiful WWI Memorial Tower and shade-bearing trees while you study.
Parade Grounds at Night by Martin via Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0
Journalism Building
If you stumble upon this hidden gem, you’re a lucky student. Inside the Journalism Building, there’s a room called the Holiday Forum, also commonly called “the living room.” Students call it the living room because of the cozy atmosphere and feeling that you’re in your own home’s living room. There are a bunch of tables and comfortable sofa chairs for studying with great large windows that let the sunlight in. The Journalism Building also has a patio with views of Victory Hill and Tiger Stadium where you can sit and study.
Christ the King Catholic Student Center
The Catholic Student Center is open until midnight and provides a welcoming environment for students. They have Wi-Fi, plenty of tables, and comfortable couches. It’s located on Fraternity Row, and all students, Catholic or not, are welcome.
Here are five study tips to help you out when you visit any of these on-campus study spots.
- Use your class notes or the teacher’s PowerPoint presentations as a study guide.
- Don’t pull an all-nighter. Missing out on sleep can negatively affect your brain performance on the day of the test.
- Study alone or in a small group. Too many people in a study group can cause distractions.
- Start studying early. The sooner you start preparing, the more confident you’ll be on test day.
- Take breaks to avoid brain fatigue. We suggest getting up to stretch or take a short walk after every 30-minute period of studying.
Check out these additional study tips from LSU. For assistance locating any of the on-campus study spots at LSU from this post, check out the LSU campus map.