Study Spots homework Commentary Downtown Campus

Enter a homework flow state with The Lookout’s top study spots

A large room with booths and tables and bookshelves, green couches and chairs, and blue walls and a staircase. A puzzle sits unfinished at a table, and a student reads while seated at a booth.

A favorite study spot is the booths near the atrium in the Technology and Learning Center. All photos by Karina Hartley.

Karina Hartley

By Karina Hartley
Staff Reporter

As the fall semester ramps up and students begin to fill the campus, the buzz begins again of students darting around to classes and chatting with new friends. Eventually, students must slow down enough to lock in to what their tuition dollars are going towards: studying. The Lookout wants to share some of our favorite spots to dive in. Whether you’re seeking a quiet place to read or crank out papers, a spot to meet up with classmates or study groups, or just somewhere you can settle in and take a break, The Lookout has some recommendations for study spaces at the Downtown Campus.

Arts & Sciences 2203

Large windows with various plants and a cozy blue chair populate the foreground, a student sits in a booth in the background with their face in a book.

If a quieter lounge space with cozy chairs draws you in, the Arts and Sciences Building’s Room 2203 on the second floor may be the spot for you. Illuminated by big windows lined with lush potted plants, you can enjoy a taste of the outdoors while you study, even in the coldest months.

Fun fact: Room 2203 is home to a large plant with purple and silver striped leaves. Also known as an inch pant, the Tradescantia zebrina sprouts dangling stems that can grow up to six feet long. 

 

The third floor Gannon hallway 

Long window panels line a hallway with red tile floors and a blue wall at the end. A student sits in the windowsill reading, their face covered by the book.

If no chairs are required to make a study spot great for you, the long windowsill along the third floor of the Gannon building—located near the gym—could be ideal. This spot features the panorama of the mall on one side and a collection of historic graphic design on the other. With minimal foot traffic and a set of vending machines nearby, the ample space along the window can set the stage for a productive session

Fun fact: The posters featured on the brick wall throughout this hallway were courtesy of the 1935 Works Progress Administration, a government agency piloted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to combat unemployment during the Great Depression. This program contained a division that commissioned art from graphic designers. The Library of Congress currently holds custody of over 900 of these posters as public domain, so LCC was able to hang their own prints of selected works.

 

The Shigematsu Japanese Garden

A pond lined with stones, trees and ferns is beside a gravel path with a wooden pavilion. A student sits reading under the pavilion.

If you like to feel the summer sunlight, a cool fall breeze or smell the spring blooms while you work, you may find success in the Shigematsu Japanese gardens. The quiet, peaceful gardens feature unique foliage, sculptures, a koi pond, and many nooks and crannies to sit in. Follow the path for more shaded and secluded spots to settle into.

Fun fact: The Shigematsu Gardens were created as a tribute to Megumi Shigematsu, a sponsor of LCC who founded several study abroad programs that brought LCC students to Japan.

 

The Library and Learning Commons

A large room with booths and tables and bookshelves, green couches and chairs, and blue walls and a staircase. A puzzle sits unfinished at a table, and a student reads while seated at a booth.

If you’re searching for a chill atmosphere where you can carve out your own nook, but you don’t want to be too far from some company, the Library and Learning Commons on the second floor of the Technology and Learning Center offers just that. Lined with booths, cozy chairs and puzzles—and situated near the tutoring center and the library—this spot offers a more vibrant, stimulating space.

Fun fact: To add to its allure, this space in the TLC features a unique a collection of hanging sculptures. The Lookout staff thinks these artworks resemble doorways and shiny precarious portals. One thing is for sure: they are especially colorful when the sun comes through the large windows.

 

The first floor of the Health and Human Services Building

Two tables sit at the bottom of a large room’s winding staircase. The room has tall ceilings, large windows and a tall brick wall with a large plant growing overhead. A student sits at one of the tables reading.

If you travel down the winding stairs through to the first floor of the Health and Human Services Building, you’ll find a quiet lobby area with tables and chairs to set up shop. A great place to read or grind out some papers, you’ll find yourself immersed in the sturdy brick architecture, tall ceilings and towering tinted windows.

Fun fact: On this floor of HHS, you can take a peek at the interactive Veteran’s Memorial. Sporting a large screen and patriotic decor, this exhibit was created to honor Michigan’s veterans, with a special focus on those from mid-Michigan.

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