Study, yes, but don’t lock yourself in the library

When I first came to UCLA, I became entranced with everything nonacademic.

From cultural events in Bruin Plaza to free movie sneaks, to the theaters, museums, and Thursday night parties, UCLA seemed more like an entertainment wonderland than an institution of higher learning.

And with Westwood Village adjoined to campus, Santa Monica only a short blue bus away, and Hollywood nearby, it was easy to forget about lectures and labs.

Then suddenly I found myself, along with many other unprepared students, somehow in the middle of fifth week, with midterms right at my doorstep. I now had to remember why I was ostensibly supposed to be in college: to earn a degree. And that endeavor actually required the most dreaded college activity of all: studying.

As I began the descent into the midterm woes that plague UCLA students (freshmen, just wait for the time to come), the lauded Powell Library so celebrated on campus tours transformed into a horrific chamber of torture. Rows and rows of tables taunted me as I spent several grueling nights willing myself to study Middle English and psychoanalysis but succeeding only in staring at my computer’s dwindling battery light for two long hours.

Finally, I pulled myself out of the dungeoned confines of Powell and out of my studying rut. On a clear spring day, I was drawn to the sculpture garden.

Surrounded by sunny skies and beautiful works of art, it was easier to study the difference between fast and slow twitch muscles when I was not locked indoors.

Sitting on the lawn that beautiful day, I realized that though my course subjects may be boring, studying does not have to be torturous too, so I began to search for more places to study that were off the beaten path.

Come finals or midterms, packs of students still sardine themselves into crowded spots on campus such as Kerckhoff Coffeehouse and fight to share a mini-table with three other study groups.

And even places in Westwood can get full of students ““ just visit Starbucks during the week: Every table is full, and prowling students circle around for someone to vacate like it’s a crowded Los Angeles parking complex.

But for a more laid-back mood, I found a less commercial study option in the Novel Cafe. With books available for a visitor’s perusal, huge coffee cups, and tables you can recline in for the entire day, it’s a great place for some good studying and great tea.

And since one of the most important parts of studying is knowing when to enjoy a brief break ““ it’s a waste to spend the entire day slaving over books ““ I found that stopping by a cultural center makes for a nice study session and a nice weekend afternoon.

The courtyard of the Hammer Museum in Westwood is an outdoor area right in the middle of the museum with plenty of sunlight and plants. And you can break up a day of studying by checking out the collections; the museum’s contemporary paintings are a nice respite from school worries.

Los Angeles is the height of arts and culture. And that means even tasks like studying don’t have to be excruciating. The area around UCLA houses a number of creative study options outside of libraries ““ it just requires a little investigating. And the city is plenty big enough for you to discover your own secret study spot.

And maybe you’ll find yourself actually wanting to be there before test time slams in.

If you don’t like studying at Powell either, e-mail Picklesimer at lpicklesimer@media.ucla.edu.

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