Riding the high of our recent football success, it’s easy to forget that the academic semester is coming to a close. As Finals Week draws near, Penn State students emerge from their rooms (some for the first time in months) and scramble for a place to study. The stacks are filled to capacity and the HUB desks all have an occupant 24/7. But never fear! There are plenty of places for Nittany Lions to sit themselves down to study.

Here are the top five places that students can venture to on campus in order to secure a good grade on their finals:

1. Any Open Classroom On Campus

Hammond. Moore. Thomas. Osmond. So many of the buildings on campus have small classrooms that are typically unoccupied, especially later on in the afternoon. They offer a great place for you and your more focused friends to go and study together while avoiding the chaos that is trying to book a group study room in the library.

2. Panera in Downtown State College

If you don’t have a problem with studying in crowds or with background noise, Panera is a great pick for you. Not only do they have great lunch foods to keep your hunger needs satisfied, but there are tables accommodating anywhere between 1 to 5 people that you could go study with

3. IST Building’s Au Bon Pain

If you don’t make your way to west campus often, you may not even know about the Au Bon Pain located on the IST wind tunnel bridge. This Au Bon Pain offers pastries and soups complete with a view of the valley surrounding University Park. It’s a bit of a trek, but definitely a great location for anyone trying to avoid the mayhem on central campus.

4. Mateer Building’s Café Laura

Located on far north campus (a block further than Chambers), no one has the determination to go all the way to Mateer. But if you do make it out there, you can be guaranteed access to Starbucks and Café Laura and a cafeteria for you to sit down at and get through all of your work.

5. Kern Lobby

Although it’s the home of PSU’s graduate school, the Kern building and the lobby on the first floor are a great place for undergrads to go. Although seating is limited, if you manage to snag a table you’ll have quick access to the Au Bon Pain and the library across the street.

Where do you go to study?

Wishing everyone a happy study season and good luck on all of their finals!