Campus is a busy and sometimes noisy place. This makes finding a quiet place to study nearly impossible. If you are like me, in order to study, you need to flee to the Arctic Circle to find a place far away from best friends and crying babies. But before you book the next flight to Saskatchewan, Canada, check out my list of quiet places to study on and off campus.
1. Kaffe Mercantile is one of my most favorite places in Ogden. The coffee selection is reason enough to make even the snobbiest caffeine freaks line up outside the door. This coffee shop features triple-certified, organic and locally roasted blends from Cafe Ibis. Kaffe Mercantile is also one of the quietest places I’ve studied in.
Unlike the other popular coffee shops in town, I don’t run into people who would distract me from my books. The seating arrangements include everything from small tables on a covered patio to a sunny window seat by the locally made crafts for sale. I recommend this coffee shop to anyone in and out of the Ogden community. The hours are best for early risers, and the shop closes at 7 p.m.
2. The Ogden Botanical Gardens are probably the most beautiful place in Ogden save for the mountains. The 11 acres of gardens provide shade for relaxing and reading. The Ogden River also runs right through the gardens, and there are picnic tables and benches perfect for studying.
I like the gardens because when you finish studying, you can take a horticulture class and learn all about native plants and how they grow. The gardens are operated by a Utah State University extension and sometimes feature Aggie ice cream.
3. Ogden Cemetery is a quiet place to study — one could say it is as silent as the grave. But in all seriousness, the cemetery is a great place because of how peaceful and tranquil it is. Many of the winding roads have benches or other places to lay down a blanket. I personally enjoy the beauty of mature trees and the history of the pioneers who rest there.
The cemetery, like many other public lands in Ogden, is open from sunrise to sunset. Be respectful of those in mourning, though, and take your books to the pet cemetery if there is a funeral happening.
4. The Alumni Center on campus is a great place to study, and quiet too, because only old people go there. OK, not really, but students tend not to frequent the Alumni Center. Behind the center adjacent to the Hurst Center for Lifelong Learning, there is a really nice patio area that features shade and places to sit. It’s so beautiful that weddings are held there, and study sessions could also be held there.
5. Stewart Library is a very cliche quiet place to study on campus. I only recommend the library if you venture to the top floor. Normally crowded and slightly noisy, the rest of the library is a nightmare for those of us who are trying to limit social time.
On the top floor, there are rows and rows of dusty books and study desks that are almost hidden to the uninformed student. The south side features classrooms and other resources, but the east side facing the mountains is probably the quietest place on campus. No one goes there. Ever.
6. The top floor of the Marriott Health Education Building is my final recommendation for a quiet place to study on campus. This building is full of health nerds, but usually only on the lower levels. This building is so quiet, especially in the afternoons. Comfy chairs and tables scatter all levels of this building, but the top floor also has easy access from the east side by the stadium. That is how I first stumbled upon this gem of a study hole.
The Shepherd Union Building and Grounds for Coffee are typical places students go to study, but I often find them full of friends and distractions. So drop off your kids (if you have them) at Weber’s day care and head to the gardens or the library, but remember to actually study once you get there.
