Exam week at the College of Charleston is right around the corner which means hundreds of students are going to spread out around campus trying to find a place to claim as theirs for study marathons. It’s crunch time and I can already feel the stress building around campus. That being said, you can tell a lot about a person based on their choice of study location. Below are some of the top study places around and on campus and what they can tell you about a person.

1. Kudu

A student who goes to Kudu to study is probably hip. One might even say...a hipster. They don’t ~need~ the internet. They’re there for the environment: the soft, indie music, the wood-on-wood aesthetic that’s perfect for their Instagrams. They’re the ones who stage their notebooks and coffee for the occasional “candid” photo. Sure, they might get work done but that’s not the reason they chose Kudu as their location of choice.

2. The Cistern

If a student studies in the Cistern, then they’re probably really into the wilderness. They come out of an hour of studying looking like they spent a hard three days deep in the woods - pollen in their hair and polka dots of bug bites pattern their skin. A student who studies in the Cistern loves CofC and will take any opportunity to Snapchat a pic of Randolph Hall.

3. Stern Garden

A student who studies behind Stern is most likely a senior. They’re sick of the college sh*t so they hide out in the relative quiet of Stern Gardens in order to finish the massive amounts of assignments they have.

4. Addlestone Libray

There are three types of people who frequent the library: those who use it as a social environment, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters who are trying to make their study hours and those few students actually using the library for its physical resources. These groups are easy to spot. The ones who go there to hang out will be found on the first floor in large groups, bent over their shared table definitely not working. Those in Greek life most likely will be representing their letters looking like they’d rather be literally anywhere else. And then there are those who are found in between the stacks, looking frazzled as hell because the book they need for their Classics paper has already been checked out by another student. (Leave them alone; they’re having a hard day.)

5. Science and Math Building, second floor

Those who study at the Science and Math Building love clean lines and open floor plans. They need to feel at ease in their study environment - a quiet atmosphere with only a minimal amount of chaos in between class change. This building is mostly filled with geology students, but also those who like large windows and dinosaurs.

6. In their room

If a student studies in their room, they need to be completely shut off from the world. They get easily distracted with the littlest amount of noise. They’ll be completely off the grid until they make those A’s. We’re talking no TV, no video games, no books. They will go through extensive means to just not talk to anyone.

No matter what type of environment you like to study in, I wish you all well on your finals this week. Figure out the best way to get your work done and then stick with it.