This semester, I’ve been looking for a new place to study. Sorry, Anschutz, but I need a place with class. A place with prestige. Somewhere only true scholars go to study. Yes, we all know the lovely little coffee shop of sorts I’m talking about. The Jayhawk Cafe.
Nestled perfectly on the corner of 13th and Ohio, The Jayhawk Cafe is home to many late-night studiers on the weekends. Although I’ve never been before, I decided to stop by on a Wednesday night, deemed “dollar night," where they serve premium cafe drinks for a dollar each!
A monument of elegance, “The Hawk” is beautifully designed and great for studying. When you first walk in the “main room," one should expect to be dazzled. The dimly lit room is filled with booths for group studying and a bar-type set up for individual researchers. The floor may be littered with plastic cups and the seats are especially sticky, but the loud music makes this room my go-to when writing a research paper. Special Feature: a dancing pole conveniently available in the back corner for a quick study break.
After getting a couple worksheets done in the main room, I made my way through the giant crowd of studious individuals and slid through a small passageway to the next room of the Jayhawk Cafe. Deemed the “Pine Room," it is nothing less than a sight to behold. Everything is wooden, hence the clever name, but studying is the top priority just the same. All my fellow students are crowded around the cafe area trying to get a mocha for a dollar, but I brought a thermos of hot cocoa with me, so I jumped into my reading assignment for my English class. This room is similar to the main room, but has a more home-y feeling to it; I love it. I would definitely recommend the Pine Room to people looking to get some heavy reading done.
I sat silently working on my laptop in an especially clean booth in the Pine Room. Suddenly, the Jayhawk Cafe workers opened up a door in the back of the Pine room and a mad dash of students pushed their way through. Naturally, I picked up my backpack and followed them; maybe they had an outlet in there for my dying computer.
But this magic door doesn’t open up to another room, it opens up to a beautiful patio on the backside of the Jayhawk Cafe. They really do have everything here, don’t they?! After going down stairs, there are once again booths lining the sides of the fenced-in patio. As always, there is a bar area in the middle for concessions and coffee during those treacherous all-nighters. I picked a seat at the bar and opened my book again, ready to delve into the bulk of my homework for the night.
Since the patio is outside, I wouldn’t recommend this room during the winter, but I’m sure it’s absolutely lovely during the summer months. The ground seems to always be sticky here, but it gives this place character. This is probably my favorite room in the Jayhawk Cafe; its open-concept floor plan made it easy for me to study while still feeling connected to nature all around me. If you consider yourself the outdoorsy type, this is your best new study space!
After I finished my book, I looked up and noticed studiers packed into lines on opposite sides of the patio. Instantly curious, I worked my way into a line by the stairs and made it to the front after 30 minutes or so. After a lovely worker directed me down an alleyway right underneath the cafe, I looked up and saw a sign that says “The Martini Room." The Martini Room probably stands for something that has to do with Chemistry or Engineering, I didn’t really ask.
After being in the “Tini” for a good 30 minutes, I finished my book and all my homework for the evening which meant it was time for a study break. Anyone who’s ever been to The Hawk before knows what that means: The Boom Boom Room.
Although I only spent a couple minutes in The Boom Boom Room, I can say with confidence that that place is just messed up. Sorry.
I walked out of the Jayhawk Cafe that night around midnight and strolled past a long line of students eager to get in and start studying, so if you’re wanting to get in, you should show up around 7 p.m.!
After doing homework there plenty of times now, I’ve decided that The Jayhawk Cafe is not only a lovely establishment, but the best place on campus to get sh*t done. With multiple study rooms for every kind of student, it truly has an answer for any problem. Their friendly staff is very kind and willing to help, and the crowd of students remains faithful to their studies and works quietly in respect to the other students.
I rate The Jayhawk Cafe a 4.5 / 5 stars for its prime location, accessibility to students, and calm atmosphere. If you ever need to study for one of those make-or-break exams the night before the test, definitely check out The Jayhawk Cafe to satisfy all of your studying needs.
