By the end of the last finals week, I found that I had spent a little ~too~ much time in RTH (Ronald Tutor Hall, the hub of Viterbi). I had everything from class to lab work to meetings in this building, and I frequented RTH Café as my study space. While there are many redeeming qualities of RTH, I decided this semester that I did not want most of my college hours to be spent in a single 5 story building. This semester I have been making a conscious effort to find exciting new study spaces outside of Viterbi buildings! Here are some of my current go to spots:
Wallis Annenberg Hall
Lecture halls can sometimes feel a little cramped, but the open study spaces scattered throughout the Annenberg building make it easy to spread out after class. The space has a large screen that spans the height of the building’s atrium, showing news and information about upcoming events at Annenberg.
VKC Library
My entire freshman year I knew about the VKC library but couldn’t quite find the entrance. Now that I have learned how to get into VKC, this is my new favorite library. I like that it is somewhat hidden, allowing me to get away from the business of campus, (as it is in the basement of VKC) but still has a lot of natural light.
Fertitta Hall
I recently discovered Fertitta while studying for my physics exam, and I am so disappointed in myself for not utilizing this space earlier in my time at USC. I have always known about Fertitta, as it is the main building for our business school, but never thought of it as a study space. The building has so many hidden areas with comfortable seating and even has private breakout rooms that Marshall students can book for themselves.
SCA Buildings
This semester I am taking my first cinema class, which has allowed me to explore the buildings that house our film school. While the common areas in the SCA buildings don’t have large tables like a library might, I find the space to be incredibly peaceful as it is typically not very crowded. Sometimes I find the flow of people coming and going distracting, and since SCA is somewhat enclosed from the rest of campus, this is less of an issue here.
It’s amazing that even after a year and a half at USC, I am still finding new spots on campus. I think expanding my campus reach beyond Viterbi buildings has helped me get to know the campus better and, ultimately, it has made studying a little more fun!
