SHANNON URTNOWSKI
Living Editor
Studying — it is one of those things many students do not want to do, but in most cases need to do to maintain decent grades. However, there are a number of students who agree that finding the right study spot can make all the difference, helping to turn a not-so-pleasant experience into one that is, well, pleasant.
To those who want to venture off-campus for their studies, coffee shops and beaches are only minutes down the street.
Beaches along the Malibu coast allow for a fun and productive study experience.
Senior Krystal Delgado said she likes to bring a book to the beach and enjoy the outdoors.
“I like to study at the beach because it is easy to find your own isolated spot there, and you are surrounded by the beautiful scenery that is God’s creation,” Delgado said. “It encourages me to study and gives me the desire to read.”
Some students believe it is hard to regularly study at crowded beaches, but Delgado said it is a great place to go every once and a while.
Deidrich Coffee is a favorite study location for freshman Elizabeth Gregg. Gregg said she likes to bring her laptop and books there to study about two or three times a week.
“I like to come here to get away from my dorm,” Gregg said. “Starbucks is too loud for me. The atmosphere here is really nice, and I love the free Internet.”
Deidrich Coffee has a number of tables for students to study and drink their coffee, and outlets and free Internet are available to those with laptops. Starbucks has a similar setup and is also located just down the road for students who would rather go there. Senior Sarah Campbell said she is a fan of both.
“My favorite place to study is Deidrich’s and Starbucks … [because] it’s a fun ambiance and less dark and gloomy than the library or my apartment,” Campbell said.
Freshman Ivy Norris has been at Pepperdine for little more than a month, and already she has scoped out the best places on-campus to crack open the textbooks.
Taking advantage of a sunny Saturday afternoon, Norris lounged with chemistry notes and pen in hand near the water fountain next to Smother’s Theatre. She said she enjoys studying there on warm days because of the peaceful atmosphere.
“I always study here because it has the fountain, which is calming and blocks out all other noise,” Norris said. “On weekends, when it’s nice outside, I like coming here.”
The nook has a number of tables and cushioned seating where students can sit, and it is not usually crowded.
This is something Norris said she likes most about the spot. She, like many other Pepperdine students, said it is difficult to study in the dorms due to the commotion of people coming in and out, loud music and talking.
“There are too many distractions,” said freshman Blake Baldwin.
Baldwin was also taking advantage of the nice weather Saturday, as he was studying with a friend at a table outside Payson Library. There are tables and benches for students outside that can be used to study.
But, for those who want to venture into Payson Library and take advantage of the study resources inside, it opens early and closes late most nights of the week.
Junior Kendra Chen studies everywhere from her room to the beach, but she wrote in an e-mail that she also likes taking advantage of the library’s study facilities.
“I like to study where I can concentrate, spread out and get my work done — sometimes that’s … in the library,” Chen said.
The library offers a number of different spots where students can study, as there are multiple desks both on the first and second floors, computers and individual study rooms where groups can meet. There is also a quiet room on the second floor that is always available to students, which guarantees students a quiet study space. But, not everyone studies best in solitude.
Sophomore Sarah Moore, though she does study in the library, said she likes studying at different locations. After a meal in the Caf, she will sometimes pull out her books and study in there.
“I like the quiet atmosphere, but I also like when people are around, so I can feel connected in some way,” Moore said.
The HAWC and the seating next to Cafe Fresca in the Center for Communication and Business are also good places for this.
There are many spots for students to study, so the rest is up to them.
09-28-2006