Where is the best place to study on campus? The answer may (or may not) shock you

For better or for worse, I decided to live on campus this year, and by far the main reason for this was the commute – I fear few things in life, but the U1 to Leamington on a weeknight terrifies me. In all seriousness, another reason for this decision was the breadth of study spaces available on campus. From late night cramming before an exam in the library, to completing an assignment in the relaxed setting of the Oculus on a Friday night, to camping out next to the coffee machine in a secluded area of the Social Sciences building – there are a great many places where students of all degrees can set up their laptop and work.

Yet one of the biggest questions is where to study: people have different preferences, and the crowded nature of a Social Sciences corridor may be very different to the ‘silence’ in the library, despite always encountering someone who decides to eat an enormous bag of crisps, for instance.

I prefer being in an area where I can watch activity going from the corner of my eye, and experience the hustle and bustle of student life

As the Head of Speech at RAW (Warwick’s student radio station), I was able to ascertain which campus buildings are preferable among a small sample of people. The results were as follows:

• Faculty of Arts Building (FAB): 8 votes
• Library: 1 vote
• Physics building: 1 vote
• Ramphal building: 1 vote

…and to make a long story short, the rest of the buildings on the poll (including the Social Sciences building, Humanities, and the Oculus) all got 0 votes. I expected the FAB to receive a fair few votes, yet the magnitude of FAB love was surprising. Maths students will typically express a preference for the Zeeman building, and the Oculus has become a de-facto mascot for the university, often used to host all the ‘important’ people that visit campus.

So why the love for the FAB? As a new and more modern building, the FAB has much more up-to-date equipment and fixtures. Perhaps ‘newer’ does not always equate to ‘nicer,’ yet personally, I much prefer a newer building like the FAB to an older building like Humanities.

The FAB’s ability to let in large amounts of natural light has also been shown to impact our mental health positively

Perhaps the FAB’s embodiment of more modern design tastes also has largely to do with how being in the FAB impacts our mental well-being. Its ‘Hogwarts-esque’ design with a wide-open space at its core allows for significant breathing room, combatting the effects of claustrophobia associated with tighter spaces. Indeed, I prefer being in an area where I can watch activities going from the corner of my eye, and experience the hustle and bustle of student life – this often relaxes me when faced with a stressful assignment, offering my brain something else to focus on when it needs to take a break.

Furthermore, the FAB also has areas which give priority to many of the departments headquartered there, such as Film, English, History, and Classics, each of which gets its own, dedicated floors. However, if the general noise and ambience of the FAB negatively impacts your studying, claiming a classroom for yourself or your friends may be beneficial. Some of the rooms on the higher floors in particular have some great views which, again, make for a nice distraction when stress gets high. The FAB’s ability to let in large amounts of natural light has also been shown to impact our mental health positively.

[The FAB’s] wide-open space and large number of rooms, catering to different students and degrees, have cemented it as one of the favourite buildings on campus

There are also smaller areas nearby to classrooms such as a table and chairs next to the drama studios for Theatre students to do some work during rehearsals as well as sound-proofed dark rooms with large screens for film students to revise key films for their coursework or exams (which I will definitely be taking advantage of this year).

Some negatives of the FAB are indeed the lack of lifts, which often leads to a rush during changeovers between classes. The confusing floor design is also potentially problematic, and, for a building of just three years old, some classrooms are already looking somewhat warn out. The presence of exposed supports and foundations made from concrete, and the harsh lighting on the side staircases, do make the building seem somewhat like a car park, the irony of which is apparent when considering that the FAB replaced an existing car park. The main staircases zig-zag all over the place and are annoying to navigate especially during the rush between classes.

The FAB is a decent yet flawed building, however I maintain that its wide-open space and large number of rooms, catering to different students and degrees, have cemented it as one of the favourite buildings on campus – and it will likely continue to be occupied by STEM students for many years to come!