The end of July often jolts many students out of their languid summer haze and incites a frenzy of anxiety and preparation, for the first two weeks of August are - if you’re on the semester system - your last gasps of freedom. For lethargic college students, though, the arrival of another semester is a welcome reprieve from summer’s signature tedium.
Wherever you may find yourself on the spectrum between longing for the return to campus or dreading it, it can’t hurt to engage in some forethought and ensure you have a solid smattering of study spots - both on and off campus - that are ready to visit week one. In solidarity with the college students of the world, we’ve organized a list of U.C. Berkeley’s best on and off campus study spots to help ensure a graceful return to the grind. Since everyone has different studying needs, this list will encompass quiet, more traditional library settings as well as more bustling cafe environs and scenic outdoor study-friendly areas.
See also: How Berkeley's Third World Liberation Front Inspired A Relevant Fight For Academic Equity
Sodoi Coffee Tasting House
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2438 Durant Avenue / Website
Sitting on a prime bit of real estate just a block from campus and around the corner from Telegraph Avenue, Sodoi opened in 2016 and has rapidly become a beloved option for coffee, croissants, and comp-sci homework among the Berkeley student populace. The ambience marries industrial modern sensibilities with an eclectic whimsy, featuring lots of exposed concrete, reclaimed wood, and vaguely nautical decor. Most importantly, the coffee receives our seal of approval; if you’re feeling indulgent, check out their caramel macchiato.
Jean Gray Hargrove Music Library
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Optometry Lane
During any discourse on Berkeley libraries, the famed Doe Library always garners the most praise, and justifiably so; it’s central campus location adjacent to Memorial Glade, its abundance of seating options, its stunning Hogwarts-esque interior, etcetera. Doe can often tragically eclipse other library options that, while lacking high ceilings and Greco-Roman architecture, are still optimal study options. Berkeley’s Music Library is one of them. This under-the-radar study locale always has free desks and offers comfy cushioned chairs and traditional super-quiet library vibes amidst rows upon rows of sheet music.
V&A Cafe
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2521 Hearst Avenue / Website
If your apartment or one of your classes brings you to the Northern edge of campus often, scope out V&A Cafe. One of the Northside’s best cafes and study spots, V&A rests just across the street from the computer science and engineering buildings and boasts plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Their breakfast paninis and coffee hit the spot between classes, and the swing jazz radio station always playing makes doing problem sets or class readings that much less torturous.
Moffitt Floor 5
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350 Moffitt Library
Moffitt is Berkeley’s main undergraduate library, and comes equipped with 5 full floors of available study zones. Floors 3 and 4 can get crowded and noisy during prime study hours, so we recommend making the hike up the stairwell to Moffitt’s 5th floor. Floor 5 is the library’s quiet floor, so you’re guaranteed a disturbance-free study sesh, and features unexpectedly comfortable blue couches, gorgeous Memorial Glade views, and even those nap pod-thingies all the hip startups have now.
Romeo’s
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2499 Telegraph Avenue / Website
Just down Telegraph from Sodoi, Romeo’s is another treasured cafe touting a convenient location and creative drinks in bright, cheery environs. Both their charming blended drinks and traditional coffee offerings make cranking out an essay a breeze, but Romeo’s most enticing aspect has to be the free Hershey’s kiss that comes with each drink purchase.
Free Speech Movement Cafe
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3rd Floor Moffitt Library
One of the most historic locales on Berkeley’s campus, the Free Speech Movement Cafe occupies Moffitt Library’s 3rd floor and ranks easily among Berkeley’s choice study spots. Its position smack-dab in the middle of campus ensures every major building is within walking distance, their coffee is full-bodied and no-nonsense (no milkshake-esque blended drinks here), their sandwiches are solid and not absurdly overpriced, their plentiful outdoor seating offers excellent views of the Valley and Life Sciences Building, and you’re likely to happen upon mutual friends there. What more could a student with an essay due in 2 hours need?
See also: Our Ultimate Guide To A Perfect Day Trip To Berkeley
Photography by: Marvin Meyer/Unsplash
