Appealing to a wider demographic, the University Library and the Horn Center are two of several places on campus that offer students accessibility to computers and a study environment.
But while some Cal State Long Beach students prefer to study off campus, others still plan to utilize those areas on campus to study for finals this week.
Freshman Laura Morgan said she prefers to study alone in the upper half of the library, free from distraction.
“I feel like I’m at school, so I should be studying,” she said.
Caralyn Falcone said that home is best for her concentration.
“I can concentrate better. I’m able to really focus on information,” Falcone said. “I have my own internal study habits. I feel like I get more done.”
Traditionally, people go to libraries because “most people need to be as free of distractions as possible to concentrate,” according to Genevieve M. Ramirez, director of the Learning Assistance Center. “I’m going to guess that the draw is probably Starbucks.”
Morgan said she finds that studying on campus is more conducive to maintaining concentration on academic material. She said she does not frequent the Starbucks on the first floor of the library because it is too busy an environment for her to concentrate in.
But some people are hesitant to study in the library because “whether it’s true or not, there’s the perception that people are concentrating very hard,” therefore, some are afraid of being a disturbance to others, Ramirez said.
Nay Lie-benau said she likes to study at the Horn Center both in between classes and in her free time.
“It’s good around 10. There aren’t that many people, and there are couches all around so it’s pretty comfortable,” she said. “It’s nice because it’s not too noisy, and it’s not as dead as the library. I need to be in a place that’s quiet, but the library’s a little too still for me.”
Ultimately, the deciding factor could be based both on location and environmental preference.
Morgan has studied at the Horn Center, but she prefers the library because her classes are nearby, saving her a walk across campus, she said.
Liebenau chooses the Horn Center because she finds the environment suitable to her studying style, but also because her classes are in adjacent buildings.
One of the main things concerning students is having enough time to study for finals, whether at home or on campus.
