Making Midterms Mine: On-Campus Study Spaces At Marquette University
Midterm season has finally arrived at Marquette University, and as a student who transferred here right before COVID-19 hit the fan, this is my first true experience with it. Attending a challenging school, I realized I need to get out of my room if I want to get assignments done and work diligently. Fortunately, I have found numerous spots to grind out my work through the chaos of 2020. Some may be familiar, while others not so much. Nonetheless, I have compiled a list of my favorite study spaces on campus to benefit both old and new students.
A well-known spot perfect for studying is The Brew Cafe, located on the first floor of the Alumni Memorial Union. Although there are multiple Brew locations around campus, the AMU has the biggest and most central one. Despite the limited seating this semester, the cafe continues to provide bar seating, booths, and tables available to use. The ambiance of the dim lighting and brick walls make for a cozy atmosphere. Along with this, students can grab Starbucks coffee or a bite to eat with MarquetteCASH. For new students, The Brew at the AMU is the perfect spot to start when looking for a go-to spot to work; it’s easy to find and accommodates students’ studying and dining needs.
If seating fills up, students can walk a short distance past Marquette’s Union Station to Brooks Lounge. This area of the AMU is hidden compared to the other rooms and facilities it has to offer. The lounge features several tables and wooden booths, all available to use while practicing social distance rules. Hanging blue lights shine a soft light on the dark green walls, which are decorated with photos commemorating the history of Marquette’s various clubs and sports.
Along with this, the lounge offers several pool tables for students finished with their work. Unfortunately, they are currently off-limits due to the coronavirus, but will definitely make for some fun downtime in the future.
Attached below is a map of the first floor of the AMU to help students navigate their way between The Brew and Brooks Lounge.
A more obvious spot for students to study at is the Raynor Memorial Libraries. However, my personal favorite section is the bridge. Located on the second floor, the bridge connects the Raynor and Memorial libraries together. It has an energetic and often loud atmosphere compared to The Brew at the AMU and Brooks Lounge. The bridge, however, does have its own Brew stand.
It provides comfy, individual chairs facing out the floor to ceiling windows, giving students a wide, beautiful view of campus. The bridge also has numerous tables so students can study with their friends! It’s safe to say it gives students plenty of different amenities all in one spot.
For students looking for more features of Marquette’s libraries, I have embedded a “virtual tour” of the them here:
Several of my go-to spots to work at have been around where my classes are located. For the short period of time I’ve been at Marquette, I have had class in Cudahy Hall almost every day. However, it was only recently I took advantage of the small study area located on the bottom floor. This study space has various kinds of seating, including comfy chairs with a small built-in table and cocktail tables with heart-shaped chairs.
Cudahy’s study area is smaller than the other spaces mentioned before, but is usually never crowded. Being central to many other academic buildings, it’s perfect for getting work done before or after class! On top of this, Cudahy also has a Brew stand (what are the odds!).
My overall favorite spot on campus to get work done at is the study area in Wells Street Hall. Not only is this my preferred spot, but I also believe it’s quite underrated. Many students’ first thought when hearing about Wells is the movie theater screen the hall provides for them. While that contributes a source of entertainment, Wells also contributes a chill, modern environment for studying and doing work.
From yellow couches and ottomans to bar-style chairs and tables, students can choose to work comfortably and relax or get in a work mindset with office-type furniture. It extends past the front desk of Wells, where students can find study rooms and an additional room used for performance practices. Although this study area is the first from my list to not have a Brew location, it is located right over the dining hall in The Commons. Grabbing food and a drink mid-study session is still convenient when choosing to work in Wells.
Not only do these study spots provide students with a beneficial work atmosphere, but they also ensure a clean, safe area to study at during the coronavirus pandemic. All the study locations I listed guarantee socially-distant seating, and all surfaces mark if they have been sanitized.
As the next couple years go by — pandemic or not — I’m hoping to experience all the study opportunities that Marquette has to offer. For students like me, I have linked below a full list of study spaces provided by the university:
For those who have studied or plan to work in my favorite spots, let me know which one is your favorite in the poll below.
