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Where do you study?


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This question goes out to current students. Where do you guys normally study? No offense, but the health sciences library didn't look like an attractive option at all, even with that newer quiet room.

 

Are there good study spaces at the main campus downtown? Any study spots that open late?

 

I'm someone who can't study at home and so 'good and convenient study locale' is one of many factors that I'm taking into consideration when I'm deciding where to live in Ottawa.

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I'm not a current student (as you know), but between studying for my MCATs and a biochem course I took this winter, I spent alot of time in the main library (lots of cubicles, all floors are silent floors) and in Lamoureux, where they've put some decent study desks. I also liked studying at the Timothy's on Laurier, abour 2 blocks from main campus, if I didn't feel like being somewhere completely silent.

 

I agree about not studying at home though...somehow I always find some way to procrastinate! My apartment was always very clean during exams.

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First of all, congrats on your UofO acceptance!

 

Here are a few places at UofO that are great for studying:

 

1) The top floor of the library. There are some really spacious individual desks that are perfect for studying at for long periods of time (they're usually reserved for grad students, but if they're not being used they're available for everyone else).

 

I find that the rest of the library is kind of boring to study in. For some reason I always fall asleep in there, I find that a nice view keeps me going for longer periods of time.

 

2) In the biosciences building right outside the bio and biochem labs there are a few benches and a large round table in the corner (on all floors). This is a very quiet place to study since people rarely come here (except for labs).

 

3) Lastly, the best place for studying: the quiet room on the first floor of SITE. It's great because there are a lot of comfortable chairs inside, the bathrooms are just outside and there is a small cafeteria (with a Tim Horton's) a few meters from the room.

 

Also, the 4th floor of site is really nice (especially in the morning). On every floor you have a really long desk facing the side of the building. The view is great: you can see the Rideau Canal if you look up while studying. Although this is designated as a study area, around lunch time it gets crowded with a lot of loud people, so you might want to study somewhere else around this time.

 

Hope this helps!

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It's not downtown, but I always liked the cbl rooms (pbl back in my day) in RGN. They're usually free on weekends & evenings (& often on weekdays) and you're free to bring food (or order in), hot water boiler for tea, and take up lots of space if you'd like, it's your own room... & you can stay as long as you want to, no opening/closing hours.

 

There's also a nice little coffee shop on Main St (close to Lees) which is usually not busy and has free wifi (=blessing/curse). Nice spot to study, but with opening & closing hours, and busier around lunchtime.

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I pretty much live in biosciences so I can attest it's a great place to study! Very quiet and well lit so you don't get sleepy and very clean bathrooms. In 2nd floor Desmerais, there's also a lounge that features a huge window looking out onto downtown. Very scenic and theres lots of couches and tables to study and few people really know about. One lounge there is reserved for business students and the other is for everyone, although the business one is pretty easy to get into (they just ask you are you in business and if you say yes your in!).

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Haha PBL back in my day....you sound so old Julie. RGN has a functional library, though the complaint for many years is that we don't have our own library and have to share it with other programs. It can get noisy there because alot of non-medicine people use the library during the day. The quiet room was usually ok, as well as the cubicles around the library. I will agree it's not the best looking library but they did renovate it 2 years ago....you should have seen it before that!

 

On main campus you have the main library which is hit or miss in my experience in terms of noise. The law library is small but you can study there as well. Very nice inside and a great alternative to the main library. Not sure about the engineering building that somebody mentioned, never went there.

 

There is always the starbucks or bridgehead option if that is of interest to you. Studying at home is always another option if you can manage that. For myself I found mixing up the scenery between home and RGN was usually enough.

 

As Julie mentioned, the CBL rooms also work nicely if you can handle being there. I spent enough time there during the week that I didn't need to study there. If you are looking for a different environment, CHEO and the General hospital both have libraries for residents and staff that you can use during the day. At night you need an ID to get in but during the day you are fine. I know of a hand full of people who would go to CHEO because the library is virtually deserted during the day and has free computer access and printing.

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