Sometimes, studying for long hours in an apartment or residence hall gets very boring and tiresome. Luckily, there are many different places on campus and around town for students when they need a change of scenery while studying.

Brian Larson, University alumnus, said his favorite place to study when the weather is cold or rainy is the Main Library. He said the quiet mood in the library makes it a favorable studying spot.

“The Main Library is great for those more dreary days because of the quiet atmosphere surrounded by the grandiose architecture creating a nice, cozy, and incredibly conducive study area,” Larson said.

While the University does have one of the largest college library facilities in the nation, there are many other desirable places to study on campus besides the libraries.

On sunny days, Larson said he enjoys studying on the Quad. He said he likes the outdoor environment while he reads.

“It also allows for easy, but not horribly distracting, study breaks to people-watch, or just to say ‘hi’ to friends passing along,” Larson said.

The Quad is fully equipped with wireless access. Students can bring their laptops with them and connect to UIUCnet by logging in with their NetID and password.

Andrew Naber, sophomore in Engineering, said his favorite place to study on campus is in the academic buildings. He said he likes to go to empty classrooms and spread out all of the materials he is working with.

“I like to use the chalkboards to work out problems and fit them into the bigger picture of what I’m studying,” he said. “Somehow things make more sense when they’re on the chalkboard.”

A majority of the academic buildings on campus have wireless Internet access, which makes these places convenient study locations for students.

There are also many places in the Illini Union that are popular for studying. Students are able to connect to UIUCnet and receive wireless access at almost any location in the Union.

Matthew Jenkins, sophomore in LAS, said he enjoys studying in the President’s Lounge. He said this is an extremely quiet area that allows students to concentrate very easily.

“The big, comfy chairs are nice for long hours of studying,” he said. “And people know that the President’s Lounge is used strictly for studying purposes, so you always know it’ll be a very quiet place to concentrate without the distraction of people talking.”

There are many other lounges in the Illini Union that are perfect for studying and have wireless access as well as outlets to plug in laptops.

There are also many cafes and coffee shops on campus where students can enjoy a caffeinated beverage while they study. Many of these places have wireless Internet access. One particular place is Espresso Royale on the corner of Sixth and Daniel streets. Other Espresso Royale locations include Oregon Street, Peabody Street and Gregory Drive, and there is also a location inside the Illini Union.

Starbucks on Green Street is a very popular location for studying, but wireless Internet access here is confined to only T-Mobile wireless subscribers.

In town, there are also many places with great study atmospheres. These include both Borders and Barnes & Noble bookstores and Panera Bread. Restaurants such as Denny’s and Perkins are open 24 hours and can also be good places to study.