Where the Terps Love to Study
By Aubrey Wurst
October 27, 2025
Photo credit : Gebhardt, G. (2007, April 2). McKeldin Library. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McKeldin_Library_%5E_Mall_-_panoramio.jpg
Having a favorite study spot helps students focus and be productive. Whether it’s the library, a local coffee shop, or the comfort of your room, having ideal study spots is encouraged.
Dr. Mariso G. Franco, New York Times bestselling author and university lecturer, said research and psychology studies show students remember concepts better when they are in the place they learned them in.
She said an example of this would be studying in a classroom if you are going to be taking a test in a classroom.
Dr. Franco said it is important for students to like their study spots because “when you like something you are more motivated to do it.”
Favorite study spots are specific to everyone. Some students enjoy being completely alone, while others like being surrounded by students who are working hard as well.
Students need to cater towards themselves when picking study spots, Dr. Franco said, because some students will thrive in quiet controlled environments while others like the world around them.
Lauren Caye, a business analytics graduate student at UMD, likes to study at Gossett Hall. She likes to sit at a table by herself, but enjoys other people being around her and she said Gossett gives her “a good balance”.
Caye consistently goes to Gossett, which helps her focus because her brain associates Gossett with work.
Sticking to a study spot creates a feeling of comfort. Charlotte Kingsley, a sophomore triple major (Communications, Literature and French Language), enjoys her go to study spot because it is a “calm environment”.
Kingsley likes to study on the porch of her sorority house(Zeta Tau Alpha). She said she likes it there because she can feel the fresh air while also being in her own space.
The feeling of being connected to the world while still being in your own bubble relates to Dr. Franco’s opinions on studying at a coffee stop.
Dr. Franco said studying at a coffee shop can be very beneficial to students because it “allows you to feel in the world.”
Caye and Kingsley agree they like their study spots because it is somewhere they are not “isolated”, but they are still productive when they work there.
Having favorite study spots is an important part of productivity overall, but enjoying your study spot also allows your brain to separate your places of comfort from places of work.
Studying somewhere you feel comfortable and safe in will not only help your mental health but also your grade.
Dr. Franco :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_GaBY1tIPH7LY9vonmoHqfsw0xGK2cRC/view?usp=sharing
Lauren : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BcIoZXHLCUWe2Lo5KEk7Wm8utaa30Ytb/view?usp=sharing
Charlie :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XNN4G8IqWu0UD4z92TnBE6PoD8dmvbFC/view?usp=sharing
Dr. Mariso G. Franco, New York Times bestselling author and university lecturer, said research and psychology studies show students remember concepts better when they are in the place they learned them in.
She said an example of this would be studying in a classroom if you are going to be taking a test in a classroom.
Dr. Franco said it is important for students to like their study spots because “when you like something you are more motivated to do it.”
Favorite study spots are specific to everyone. Some students enjoy being completely alone, while others like being surrounded by students who are working hard as well.
Students need to cater towards themselves when picking study spots, Dr. Franco said, because some students will thrive in quiet controlled environments while others like the world around them.
Lauren Caye, a business analytics graduate student at UMD, likes to study at Gossett Hall. She likes to sit at a table by herself, but enjoys other people being around her and she said Gossett gives her “a good balance”.
Caye consistently goes to Gossett, which helps her focus because her brain associates Gossett with work.
Sticking to a study spot creates a feeling of comfort. Charlotte Kingsley, a sophomore triple major (Communications, Literature and French Language), enjoys her go to study spot because it is a “calm environment”.
Kingsley likes to study on the porch of her sorority house(Zeta Tau Alpha). She said she likes it there because she can feel the fresh air while also being in her own space.
The feeling of being connected to the world while still being in your own bubble relates to Dr. Franco’s opinions on studying at a coffee stop.
Dr. Franco said studying at a coffee shop can be very beneficial to students because it “allows you to feel in the world.”
Caye and Kingsley agree they like their study spots because it is somewhere they are not “isolated”, but they are still productive when they work there.
Having favorite study spots is an important part of productivity overall, but enjoying your study spot also allows your brain to separate your places of comfort from places of work.
Studying somewhere you feel comfortable and safe in will not only help your mental health but also your grade.
Dr. Franco :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_GaBY1tIPH7LY9vonmoHqfsw0xGK2cRC/view?usp=sharing
Lauren : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BcIoZXHLCUWe2Lo5KEk7Wm8utaa30Ytb/view?usp=sharing
Charlie :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XNN4G8IqWu0UD4z92TnBE6PoD8dmvbFC/view?usp=sharing