Top 5 Study Spaces
You know you’re truly made it in life not when you can buy a big fancy car or a luxury mansion, but when you have solidified your ideal study spot on campus. This may sound dramatic I know, but as a university student it’s almost equivalent to gold when you finally find a spot on campus that you can truly work well in without fail. Over time you’ll come to learn how you study best, whether it be with immense noise surrounding you, dead silence or in between, I encourage you to explore UTM and all that it has to offer. With that being said, I want to give you my...
Top 5 recommendations of study spaces on campus...
... for when you do come onto campus or even if you are on campus right now and are looking for some new study areas (in my opinion of course) .
My first recommendation is for the social butterflies .
The William G Davis Building, built in 1974 is by far the busiest and largest building in campus. Containing our cafeteria, science labs, lecture halls and more this building is a hub for students to hang out in due to its convenience. This spot is almost like your high school cafeteria, you will ALWAYS run into someone you know. So, if you like being around your friends, the hustle and bustle or just being in the midst of things, the Davis Meeting Place is a great study spot for you! More specifically, behind, in front of and next to Tim Horton's has numerous tables and chairs for students to grab a bite to eat whilst getting work done.
Next, let’s take a look at the opposite side of the campus to a building whose name holds great significance.
Maanjiwe nendamowinan, also commonly referred to as MN means gathering of minds and is fitting as this building fosters learning and innovation . This huge building is home to departments like English and Philosophy as well as large lecture halls and smaller tutorial classrooms. Here, you have a multitude of study area options from the MN Grand Hall to study pods and bookable study rooms. To narrow it down however, one amazing spot to study is the MN 4th floor balcony. Overlooking our sports field and courts, the MN balcony provides a Birds Eye view of campus, creating a sense of peace and serenity in my opinion. Unfortunately, however due to its outdoor nature, this balcony is only open for the fall and summer seasons and for this reason I do suggest having at least two go-to study spots on campus. Overall, this chill spot allows you to work alone, with friends, with food or without food, whatever works for you!
Opened in 2014, this beautiful building receives its name from a campus wide contest won by a UTM staff member who so accurately named the building after one of the animals seen most around UTM.
If you’ve guessed Deerfield Hall, you’d be correct . Connected to MN via a series of walkways on 5 of its floors, many students favour this building as you can easily go from building to building especially in the cold winter or blazing hot summer. My ideal study spot in DH, as it’s most called by students is the seating area just next to Starbucks at the front of the building. For many, this is one of the most scenic and convenient study spots on campus as you have food options like Starbucks less than 5 feet away and the North Side bistro about 15 feet away. In my opinion, this side of campus is much quieter so if you’re someone who gets easily distracted but still needs people around them to study, I’d definitely recommended this study spot.
Now, these next two study area are catered to the quieter people and the people (like myself) who need absolute silence to get anything done.
Possibly one of the most popular study areas on campus is the Library, formally known as the Hazel McCallion Academic Learning Centre. This four floored building is incredibly diverse and provides numerous resources for students like the Information and Loans Desk and the Reference and Rsearch Desk. This building is unique as noise level decreases as you climb floors. Meaning that the first two floors are typically used for group study while the 3rd and 4th floors are catered to silent individual study. For me, the Avie Bennet Novelties Reading area on the third floor is ideal, due to the natural lighting from the large windows and calm atmosphere. In my opinion this environment forces me to be silent and get work done. For those who thrive in silence this is the perfect place for you! - except that fact that you can’t eat in there
The fifth and final study spot on my list is found on the 2nd floor of one of our most sustainable buildings on campus.
From beehives on the roof to copper walls that allow for heat regulation, the Instructional Centre has everything you need to succeed. As you walk in , you’d see food options like Subway, Quesada and Ah so sushi calling your name. As you walk further into the building and climb the stairs, you’ll come to one of the few designated silent study areas on campus. This area is equipped with tables and chairs, couches and a couple of Bookable study rooms to cater to all learning styles and assignment types like group work. There are even desktop computers for students who may need to submit assignments or access certain programs. Overall, the combination of comfort, quiet, and convenience makes this one of the best and most reliable places on campus that allow students to thrive .
In Summary
All in all, you can see that UTM is a widely diverse and accessible campus with a multitude of study spaces to choose from to cater to YOUR needs. These spots are just some of my favourites to act as a guide for you but I’m sure over time you too will curate your ideal study spots!
