There are just a few finals and papers separating you from a monthlong break. Study period begins Thursday, December 12, and is the run-up to finals week, which starts Monday, December 16, and wraps up Friday, December 20. Students flood Mugar Memorial Library, the GSU Food Court, and local coffee shops around this time. Naturally, these spots have limited space, so BU Today has compiled a list of the best study spots on campus.
Also, BU is providing free van service for any student on campus wanting a ride home during finals. From Thursday, December 12, through Thursday, December 19, the shuttle will run midnight to 6 am and will make periodic pickups on Commonwealth Ave, in front of the GSU Plaza, with drop-offs to any on-campus location. For more information, call the Mugar Memorial Library Security Department at 617-353-4015.
Charles River Campus
Mugar Memorial Library
771 Commonwealth Ave.
Hours: Open daily, 24 hours
During finals season, Mugar Memorial Library becomes home for many BU students. It will stay open 24 hours a day starting Friday, December 13, at 7 am, through Friday, December 20, at 11 pm. The library has seven floors and the biggest computer lounge on campus, and the ever-bustling ground floor makes for a great group study environment. Most times, you can hear a pin drop on the upper floors, despite all the students working there, so head upstairs if you need silence.
Kilachand Hall Study Lounge
91 Bay State Road, ninth floor
Hours: Open daily, 24 hours
Visitors to the top floor of Kilachand Hall will find a study lounge with panoramic views of Boston and the Fenway. Reminder: this study lounge, like those in other residences, is open only to students living on campus and is available only to Kilachand residents after 2 am.
Educational Resource Center
Center for Student Services
100 Bay State Road, fifth floor
Hours: Through Thursday, December 12, 9 am to 9 pm; Friday, December 13, 9 am to 5 pm; Saturday, December 14, and Sunday, December 15, noon to 8 pm; Monday, December 16, through Wednesday, December 18, 9 am to 9 pm; Thursday, December 19, and Friday, December 20, 9 am to 5 pm
The Educational Resource Center (ERC) has both casual study nooks and private study spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis. To book a private study room, visit the ERC’s fifth floor office. Open to all students with a valid BU ID.
Pickering Educational Resources Library
Wheelock College of Education & Human Development
2 Silber Way
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8 am to 10 pm; Friday, 8 am to 5 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm; closed Sunday
One of the smaller libraries on campus, the Pickering Library, in the basement of 2 Silber Way, offers a quiet place to study. Open to all students with a valid BU ID.
Science & Engineering Library
38 Cummington Mall
Hours: Extended hours start Friday, December 13, 8 am to midnight; Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15, 10 am to midnight; Monday, December 16, to Thursday, December 19, 8 am to midnight; Friday, December 20, 8 am to 7:30 pm
This library is convenient for anyone living on or near East Campus seeking a short commute. It has cubicles as well as communal tables for studying. Find more information about finals week hours here.
575 Commonwealth Ave., eighth floor
Hours: Open daily, 24 hours
This top-floor study lounge is for those who want a view while hitting the books. The residence hall also has a first-floor multipurpose room with chairs, couches, and a pool table for when you need a break. Open to students living on campus before 2 am.
CAS Think Tank
College of Arts & Sciences
725 Commonwealth Ave., Room 105
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 am to 9 pm
The CAS Think Tank features individual study cubbies, communal tables, and team meeting rooms with whiteboards, providing a tranquil spot to meet and study. The space can accommodate up to 134 students, and is open to all BU students.
School of Theology Library
745 Commonwealth Ave., second floor
Hours: Wednesday, December 11, and Thursday, December 12, 7:45 am to 11 pm; Friday, December 13, 7:45 am to 8 pm; Saturday, December 14, 10 am to 8 pm; Sunday, December 15, 1 to 5 pm; Monday, December 16 through Wednesday, December 18, 7:45 am to 11 pm; Thursday, December 19, 7:45 am to 9 pm; and Friday, December 20, 7:45 am to 6 pm
The STH Library has carrels as well as communal tables for studying. There is also a conference room that can be booked for groups of students needing a place to gather. To book the conference room, email sgsmith@bu.edu. The library is open to all students with a valid BU ID.
BU School of Law Café
765 Commonwealth Ave., second floor
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 11 pm; Friday, 8 am to 10 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 9 pm; Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm. Note: only those with swipe access can enter the building after 8 pm
This LAW spot gives students a stunning view of the Charles River from a floor-to-ceiling window. Head here, next to Mugar, if you want a room full of natural light and a casual study environment.
Ziskind Lounge
George Sherman Union
775 Commonwealth Ave., second floor
Hours: Weekdays, 8 am to 10 pm; weekends, 10 am to 10 pm
The Ziskind Lounge is a good place for study groups to congregate. You’ll find communal tables as well as comfortable easy chairs throughout the lounge, which is open to all students with a valid BU ID.
Dean’s Study Lounge
George Sherman Union
775 Commonwealth Ave., third floor
Hours: Weekdays, 8 am to 10 pm; weekends, 10 am to 10 pm
This study lounge is one of the best-kept secrets at BU. It’s quiet, seats about 60, and even has a physical therapy athletic training table for Sargent College students who need to do practice exams.
African American Studies Program Building
138 Mountfort St., South Campus
Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm
The small student lounge in the African American Studies Program building, which has both tables and desks, is an ideal location for those looking to hit the books during finals. There’s also a classroom and seminar room available to students. And as an added draw, the department offers free coffee and snacks. The space is open to all students with a BU ID.
Buick Street Market & Café
10 Buick St.
Hours: Weekdays, 7 am to midnight; weekends, 8 am to midnight
Here’s a place for those who study best surrounded by food and a crowd. Choose from the market’s ample selection of sandwiches and salads. As an added incentive for those in need of fresh coffee, Dunkin’ Donuts will have extended hours during study days and finals, closing at midnight. The market and café are open to all students with a valid BU ID.
StuVi II Study Lounge
33 Harry Agganis Way, 26th floor
Hours: Open daily, 24 hours
Many consider this to be Boston University’s premier studying spot. The lounge offers sweeping views of Boston and Cambridge (a great distraction when you need a break from reading) and is especially popular with students who live on West Campus. Open to all students living in BU housing.
Claflin Hall Study Lounge
273 Babcock St., first floor
Hours: Open daily, 24 hours
This former Rhett’s West location was turned into a full-time study lounge over the summer. The area has comfortable seats as well as elevated tables with stools and standard tables and chairs. It’s a small space that’s great for group studying and is right next to the West Campus dining hall.
Boston University Dining Services Late Nite Cafés
Marciano Commons, 100 Bay State Road
Warren Towers, 700 Commonwealth Ave.
West Campus, 275 Babcock St.
Hours: 9:30 pm to 2 am
In an effort to create more space for students to study, the late night dining options around campus (Warren Late Nite Café, West Campus Late Nite Café, and Bay State Underground) will close two hours later than usual to accommodate late-night study sessions. As a bonus, Dining Services will hand out free coffee, hot chocolate, and fountain sodas in these locations.
Fenway Campus
Campus Center Student Residences
Room 105 (Wolf Room)
150 Riverway
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6:30 am to 11 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm
The Wolf Room offers one of the largest study spaces on BU’s Fenway Campus. During the day, the room is flooded with natural light. It can accommodate more than 100 people.
Room 106 (Lincoln Room)
150 Riverway
Hours: Monday through Friday, 6:30 am to 11 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm
This conference room—known as the Fish Bowl—is small, but with a whiteboard and large TV monitor, it’s a great place for group studying.
In addition to the Wolf and Lincoln Rooms, the Campus Center Student Residences offers several other lounge areas adjacent to the Longfellow Coffee and the Convenience Store.
Pilgrim Student Center
37 Pilgrim Road
Hours: Daily, 8 am to midnight
The Pilgrim Student Center has various seating configurations. If you’re looking for an enclosed space, head to Room 103, which can accommodate up to 50 people and has a projector for those engaged in group projects.
Medical Campus
BU Medical Center Alumni Medical Library
72 East Concord St., 12th and 13th floors
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 7:30 am to midnight; Friday, 7:30 am to 10 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 10 pm; Sunday, 10 am to midnight
This Medical Campus spot has long communal tables, group rooms for quiet study (available on a first-come, first-served basis), and computers. The library is open to all students with a valid BU ID.
Have suggestions for other study spots on campus? Add them to the Comment section below.