Personally, I have a hard time doing homework in my room or at the kitchen table, as my most productive self comes to light with a change of scenery. While there are many areas on campus that can be considered great study spots such as the Student Center or the Commons, there are also a ton of great places off campus as well that are great for studying. If you also work better outside of your own living space, check out my favorite places to study that are close to EMU.
For comfort: Cross Street Coffee
Cross Street Coffee is one of my favorite places to go study, partially because of the low lighting and coziness that welcomes you as soon as you walk in. I don’t how to explain it, but I can almost feel the productive energy in this little coffee shop. If you get tired of studying, Cross Street has an area where you can play some old games or read your choice of comics. Cross Street also has these really comfy couch chairs where you can sit and study flash cards. Not only that, but they have an amazing variety of different coffee beverages at reasonable prices. My favorite is the seasonal Mexican Latte.
For closeness: Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea
Sweetwaters is not only conveniently close to campus, but it also contains tasty beverages. Sweetwaters is great for a study group because it contains one long table where multiple students can sit and study together. If you’re lucky, you might encounter live music. Once the weather gets warm, Sweetwaters has a great area where you can sit outside.
For familiarity: Biggby Coffee
Biggby Coffee has opened up its lobby to the public, so its ready for you whenever you want to stop in. Biggby has the lovely coffee smell to keep you going and is dangerously close to Doms Doughnuts if you would like to pair the two together while doing homework. If doing homework in the morning is your thing, Biggby has breakfast bagels so you will not go hungry while you put that brain to work.
For munching: Stufd
Stufd is definitely a wild card, but if eating while doing homework makes you happy, Stufd is the place to fulfill you. I personally love the Stufd burrito and tacos and the dining area is really cute and calming. The tables are a reasonable size so there is plenty of desk space to place your materials and your burrito. Plus, Stufd is not normally too busy. I’ve noticed that most people order take out, so you don’t have to worry about loud conversation in the restaurant.
I truly believe that going out and trying a different study environment will make you feel better about homework. Especially in the cold, it’s hard to find the motivation to leave your room, but rewarding yourself with coffee or food off campus will improve your mood and productivity.
