Now that I am living off campus, I have found the need to look for good places to get some work done between classes when I don’t have time to go home. Unlike classes in high school, classes in college are often spaced out and the time between those classes can either be used productively or not. Considering that I am already busy doing a lot of things in my life, I try to take advantage of any opportunity I have to get some work done.
My favorite, most accessible place to study on campus is the Science & Engineering Library in the Seaver Science Center. It happens to be close to most of my classes and it is never too busy or too loud in there. In the library, they have multiple computers for use, as well as a large study room and many tables and chairs for studying. I find myself in there a lot trying to get a little bit of work done when I do not have time to go back to my apartment. This is definitely the most productive place on campus for me.
Science & Engineering Library
Another great place for studying is Leavey Library. This library is located on the northeast end of campus, near multiple freshmen residence halls. Even though its called a library, Leavey is truly a large study center. It is the main study spot on campus for students and is open 24/7. My favorite part of Leavey are their “collaborative study rooms”. You can go online and reserve a room for your study group. The study rooms fit around 8 people comfortably and provide a place where students can collaborate and work together without disturbing others. I have definitely had my fair share of late nights in Leavey working on homework with my fellow Chemical Engineers.
Leavey Library
The last place I go to to study on campus is VKC. VKC is short for Von KleinSmid Center and it is a building located right near the middle of campus filled with classrooms. However, on the weekends, these classrooms will be left accessible to USC students. It can be a great place to go on a Sunday. I have met there with my study group on a Sunday morning and we will just bust through the homework, one assignment at a time. One nice thing about it is that each classroom is separated, so it somewhat secludes you from the outside world temporarily.
Von KleinSmid Center
I am really glad that I have been able to find some great places on campus to study. It is not always easy to dedicate a short amount of time to getting work done, but having great places like the Science & Engineering Library to work on stuff between classes has helped make my days more productive in general. Also, other places on campus are great to go to on weekends, to get away from distractions and focus on getting your work done. It’s hard being a Viterbi Engineer, but taking advantage of the resources around you helps immensely!
