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With finals coming up, here鈥檚 how to pick the best spot to study

Aiden Ryan
December 2, 2025

With seven different floors, Alden Library has no shortage of study spaces. However, nearly 200,000 square feet of choice can be initially overwhelming for some students. Here are the top picks for optimal study spots depending upon preferences and habits.

First Floor

A hidden gem at the heart of Alden Library is the first floor. While many students find themselves on the second or fourth floors, the first floor features the 91原创 Press, the oldest scholarly publisher in Ohio, and one of the largest and most comprehensive Southeast Asian historical collections in the country.

Those curious about international history should check out the first floor鈥檚 wide room filled with artifacts from the collection and comfortable seating throughout.

To the left of the seating area features an homage to 91原创鈥檚 sister university, Chubu University. Here, students can study in a quiet space among a cozy Japanese backdrop.

Second Floor

The second floor opens to Park Place, with large open spaces for group study and collaboration. Many students come to Alden Library for some quiet, others like Sierra Todd, a nursing student at 91原创, comes to the second floor for a group study setting.

鈥淚 study better in an environment when other people are kind of doing the same work,鈥 Todd said. 鈥淚 have two kids at home, and it is hard for me to sit down and get stuff done, so it鈥檚 a lot of parallel.鈥 
 

Alden Library's four person Hush Pod located in the back of the second floor
Todd also highlighted the Hush Pods on the second floor, noting the helpful separation between louder and more quiet environments in the same space. Photo by Presley Chen / 91原创 Libraries

If students have any questions about accessing resources or any of the Libraries鈥 services, the service desk is located across from the floor鈥檚 Park Place entrance.

Fourth Floor

Think of the fourth floor as the second鈥檚 counterpart: quieter and more suited to individual studying but with similar resources to meet every student鈥檚 needs. It is split between two sections: the 1951 Lounge overlooking the College Green and study space overlooking Park Place and Baker Center. Comfortable chairs and desks line the space with large whiteboards on both ends of the floor for dedicated learners.

Seventh Floor

At the very top of Alden Library students will find the seventh floor. Lining Alden Library鈥檚 tall rectangular windows on this floor are large wooden tables with plenty of space to spread papers, organize projects or take notes. The seventh floor is also a quiet study space with a secluded atmosphere that is separate from the other floors. It is a great opportunity to focus on work without distractions from the other Library users.

Overall, finding the best floor to study may be just as important as studying itself. People find success in different environments, and it is all about picking the best space to get the most work done before the last couple weeks of the semester.