As the semester winds ever-closer to finals week, students across campus will be on the hunt for study spaces to spend their waning days of the semester.
My personal favorite is the LSU Library, and here’s why.
It has a unique charm unlike most buildings on campus.
The building is not the fanciest or most interesting structure on campus, but it is one of the most recognizable and social places within the bounds of the university.
A university library is symbolizing the search for knowledge at the core of all institutions of higher learning. It is the physical repository of scholarship—a tangible representation of the academic output of the university.
This symbolism is on constant display in the library, especially as the end of the semester nears and deadlines loom. Thousands of hours have been passed by library-goers over the years, the walls bearing witness to a fantastic amount of academic work.
The library also offers it’s own CC’s Coffeehouse location, which allows under-caffeinated students a nearby refueling station.  A 2019 Reveille report noted that increased caffeine consumption might actually add years to your life.
It is also at the core of campus, which gives you the chance to take a much-needed stroll to gather your thoughts and plan your day for success. It could even help you meet your activity goals.
These are just a couple of reasons why I think the main library is the superior campus study spot. The top reason in my mind, though, is the social aspect that it provides.
What I mean by that is that, unlike at a cramped coffee shop, you can study with your friends and classmates without worrying about whether or not there will be a table big enough to accommodate everyone.
The library is a campus behemoth with ample seating for group and individual settings. You will always have somewhere to sit and spread out notes, snacks and school supplies.
Studying at the library also means that you can checkup on your friends who are studying in other sections and maybe even bring them a coffee after a while to keep them grinding.
Despite the library’s many problems, these social and community aspects still make it the top study space on campus. Even if the basement floods…and the seats are from the ’70s…and the roof leaks. Even then, the atmosphere of the LSU library is undefeated.
It is all simply part of the charm of the main library of the flagship university of Louisiana.
Charlie Stephens is a 21-year-old political communication junior from Baton Rouge.