Learning to stay on top of your workload is one of the most important skills you’ll build when you start at Georgetown, and you’ll need it quickly if you want to avoid late-night crams and 11:59 p.m. paper submissions. Finding a spot to get work done, whether you’re popping in to brush up on material between classes or staying for hours, is the best way to make time for schoolwork in your busy schedule. Fortunately, Georgetown has a variety of study spots on and off campus.
Joseph Mark Lauinger Memorial Library, or Lau for short, is Georgetown’s staple study spot. Open 24/7 on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekends, Lau is always available in a pinch. Each floor has something unique to offer, from Lau 3’s floor-to-ceiling windows to Lau 5’s silent cubicles. The second floor is also home to the Midnight Mug, a Corp location that serves coffee, snacks and other treats to fuel late-night studying.
The Healy Family Student Center, or HFSC, is also a popular spot to get work done, especially in groups. The building is open from 8 a.m. to midnight and is furnished with small study spaces, practice rooms, large tables and an outdoor patio. Hilltoss, another Corp location, serves both typical coffee fare and fresh sandwiches. The HFSC’s picturesque river views are often in high demand, so if you want a seat, be sure to get there early.
If you aren’t interested in Lau’s brutalism or the HFSC’s modern look, the Bioethics Research Library, located in Healy Hall, has all the hallmarks of academia. Open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on most weekdays, Bioethics is the perfect place for a study session. You can either sit at one of the antique wooden tables or take the metal staircase and find a place between the bookshelves. Like any classic library, though, Bioethics is completely silent and more inclined to solo work.
Blommer Science Library, found on the third floor of Reiss Hall and open daily, is one of the lesser-known study spots on campus. For those who can brave the bright white walls and bookshelves full of science textbooks, Blommer offers computers, the cleanest whiteboards on campus and guaranteed tables for quiet studying. Blommer is the perfect place for an extended study session and, more importantly, is close enough to the Leavey Center for needed snack breaks.
Byrnes Hall, accessible to non-residents with a keycard until midnight every day, has a futuristic, newly built lobby that is perfect for a long study session. Furnished with study rooms, high-top tables and even a fireplace, the lobby offers a comforting, modern study area. Byrnes is also right next to Epicurean for when you need a quick pick-me-up.
The Leavey Center, open 24/7, offers multiple study spots. The main entrance, Sellinger Lounge, has a spread of tables, including a few overlooking a patio, that are great places for group or solo work. If you want a break from the loud interior, you can sit at an outside table in the Hoya Harvest Garden and enjoy a view of the football field. Further inside at Starbucks, there are also a few highly coveted tables.
If you’re signing up for classes and wondering why your discussion section is in a building called Car Barn, you’re not alone. Originally built to store streetcars, it’s now home to classrooms, a large outdoor patio and Einstein Bros. Bagels. Although the shop’s seating is limited, the terrace next to the entrance is a perfect place to do some studying. Car Barn is open from 7:30 a.m.-midnight on weekdays.
The Georgetown neighborhood is also home to a variety of coffee shops and cafés. Coffee Republic is just a few blocks outside the front gates on O Street, offering indoor-outdoor seating and a rotating menu. Compass Coffee and Tatte, both on Wisconsin Ave., are popular spots for studying and getting a treat with friends, but beware of weekend crowds if you’re looking for something more quaint.
If Bioethics isn’t ornate enough for you, you can spice up your studying with a trip to the Library of Congress downtown. You’ll need to register for a reader card to access their study spaces, but after you’ve done so, you can enjoy any of their picturesque reading rooms for free.
Happy studying!
