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Alternatives To The SLC: Athens' Best Study Spots

by Nathalie Espinol
11/12/2007

The end of fall semester is quickly approaching which means crunch time for many University of Georgia students.

With tests, projects and papers due before the Thanksgiving break, it is commonplace to see students cramming over their notes and textbooks, occupying every open space in the Student Learning Center.

However, if you’re not one of the lucky students to snag an open table or one of the 96 study rooms at the SLC, where else can you study?

There are many other accommodating study spaces around the university campus and Athens, which provide students a good environment to focus and do homework.

The Main Library on North Campus is a good substitute study area for the crowded SLC. Its multiple floors, with many tables and desks situated between the bookshelves, allow students to find a solitary corner to study.

Similar to the Main Library, the Science Library near South Campus can also be a suitable study area. Both buildings offer computer and printer access, not to mention all the research resources available on their shelves.

In addition, the libraries are silent environments, so students who cannot study in noisy areas don’t have to worry about loud distractions.

Unlike the 24-hour SLC, the Main and Science Libraries close at 12 a.m. from Monday through Thursday and on Sundays. On Fridays, the libraries close at 9 p.m. and at 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

For students looking for a more relaxed study environment, all of the dorms on campus provide study rooms with desks, chairs and coaches, although these spaces tend to fill up fast.

Meanwhile, those students who prefer to study off-campus can head to downtown Athens, which is filled with many cozy coffee shops that offer comfortable study spaces for students.

Coffee shops such as Starbucks, Espresso Royale Cafe and Hot Corner Coffee cater to those students who like a caffeine-fix while they study, even providing wireless internet to their customers.

On the eastside of Athens, students can study at Cups Coffee Café or Jittery Joe's, both located on Barnett Shoals Road. Cups Coffee Café, in particular, has a spacious study room in the back of its store, with several couches and desks.

Even the Barnes and Noble Booksellers on Atlanta Highway has become a study zone, as the coffee shop located inside the store has several tables to accommodate students.

With finals just around the corner, university students can use any of these suitable study spots around Athens as an SLC-alternative, beating the crowd that usually floods the building from November through December.