A homework problem:

Finding the right place to do work

Published: Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Updated: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 12:08

Here's a situation you may find yourself presented with sooner than you'd probably like: it's mid-September, and the pure elation of the first few weeks of freedom and frivolity has leveled off into a milder form of youthful apathy when suddenly, your well-meaning professor drops that first 1,500 word essay on you. You sit down at your desk eight hours before it's due, struggle through some vague pre-writing ritual and toil through each paragraph, fighting the distractions of your roommate's television and your neighbor's toxic acoustic guitar playing. As you put the finishing touches on what is destined to be your worst college paper, you swear to yourself, "Never again. I will dare to be a better student." Luckily, Villanova has provided you with many places to retreat from the never-ending wave of distractions that is college life in the off chance that you decide to hit those books. Here are a few places you might not think of right away but will benefit your academic health greatly.

Study Spot No. 1:

Fourth Floor of Falvey Library

Yes, it is a treacherous and possibly unconquerable (depending on heat index) four-story hike, but at the top you will find an academic oasis of isolation, silence and peace. Your friends may scoff at your seemingly bookish and overachieving nature, but in the end, it is you who will have the last laugh. You will find yourself in the company of scholars, geniuses and narcoleptics, all contributing to an environment so conducive to studying that your productivity will soar to levels you never thought possible. If you want to get tough work done as early and as quickly as possible, this is your place. Don't do drugs; do the fourth floor of Falvey.

Study Spot No. 2:

The "Spit"

You may become more familiar with this South Campus dining hall for your dietary needs, but it is also a quiet and conveniently located study spot if you need to get away from the dorm room and get some work done once dining hours are over. It's generally quiet, and its spacious environment will keep you from getting too stir-crazy, but its real appeal is that you don't have to walk 15 minutes to Main Campus to get to it.

Study Spot No. 3:

Bartley Hall Classroom

The Villanova all-nighter experience would be virtually unimaginable without access to Bartley Hall's classroom accommodations. Great for group study, you and a few friends can invade a classroom on any of the building's four floors and spread out with all the books, food and energy drinks you need, all without having to worry about keeping your noise level down. True all-nighters involve healthy amounts of friendly distraction, so this is the place to go if you have to make the infamous sunset-to-sunrise commitment to a test or paper.

Study Spot No. 4:

President's Lounge

This cozy room on the top floor of the Connelly Center is often host to speakers and organization meetings, but when they clear out, they leave behind one of the most relaxing places on campus to settle down for an hour or two and knock out some reading. Seating is exclusively composed of comfortably padded chairs and couches, and noise is generally very quiet and contained. On the down side, it closes at 11 p.m., relatively early by collegiate standards, so those seeking the all-nighter experience may need to look elsewhere.

Places to avoid

Your Room

Unless you have noise-cancelling headphones, a superhuman resistance to distraction and/or live with a monk-in-training, your dorm room is probably the worst place to try to get serious work done. First, it is a scientifically proven fact that the one day in the week you have to crack down on assignments will be the one day that your roommate has decided to take his or her "night off," filled with Madden tournaments, "Gilmore Girls" marathons and pseudo-pagan celebrations (sometimes all at once). Plus, there is the ever-present temptation of the bed, silently whispering to you, "You can finish in the morning." You can, but it won't be pretty. Human will is strong but not strong enough to work in your room if you want to achieve some measure of academic success. Avoid at all costs.

Falvey First Floor Lounge

Yes, it has a Holy Grounds. Yes, it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And yes, there are marathon readings of the epics of Homer and Virgil. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most densely populated areas on Villanova's campus, which, combined with certain environmental factors (such as a periodic lack of breathable air), makes it one of the least advisable places to frequent for studying. It tends to be unbearably hot during all seasons, and the cacophony of cappuccino-making, phone conversations and debates as to the respective merits of green and black tea will prevent any attempts at settling into a productive groove. However, at all but the most unholy hours of the day, it'll be packed to capacity, so it may not even be an issue. Your best bet is to retreat to higher grounds.