If you're an upperclassmen at UF, please don't hate me too much for sharing some of the best-kept secrets on campus. If you're new to Gainesville or UF, though, you can thank me later for these killer study spots, awesome free events on campus, and even a few Instagram-worthy spots around the Swamp.
1. Smathers Library
While normies fight over Lib West versus Marston (Marston 100%, by the way), you'll be studiously reading for fun or listening to a classical concert radio on Spotify in the Smathers Library on the second floor of Library East, Lib West's under-appreciated cousin. The second floor looks like something out of Harry Potter, with high arching ceilings and decorative lamps on the tables. Better yet, there's always space to spread out since few use this gorgeous library.
2. Pugh Hall Cubbies
Besides the one astronomy lecture held in Pugh, many don't have an incentive to visit the building. Those that do get a choice of about a dozen study cubbies with full-length couches, outlets, study rooms, and even a mini POD on the ground floor.
3. Weimer Study Lounge
You don't need to be a J-school major to study in sunny style. Take the elevator to the third floor in Weimer and you will run into the student lounge, where the best seating real estate looks over the Weimer courtyard and its art sculptures, as well the hall's greenhouse roof vibes. Journalism majors love to scoop up these spots, so be on the lookout for aggressive kids fighting you for these seats. Only the luckiest few nab a spot at the window and get perfect lighting for an afternoon assignment.
4. East Auditorium Courtyard
Tucked away behind the cathedral-like auditorium and in front of the unassuming Grinter Hall is an incredibly well-kept secret: that random courtyard filled with art installations, picnic benches, and skinny trees (the ideal hammocking kind). Check it out as the best place to eat a quick lunch or the perfect shady patch of grass for a nap.
5. Reitz Union Nook
On the second floor of the Reitz Union, hidden far from the main atrium is a small study nook equipped with snazzy chairs and arguably the best view on that side of campus. Overlook a sunset over the mini gator lake behind Reitz while you cram for that final.
6. Empty Lecture Halls
Newbies might not know of the large lecture halls on campus that do not get locked after class, meaning Little, Turlington, Pugh, Carleton, and other buildings sit vacant with huge seating selections for you and your study group. Follow the unspoken study etiquette, though. If a group has laid claim to a lecture hall, it is best not to wander in and study, no matter how many hundreds of seats are vacant.
