Written by Sacha von Thomann
Sick of bunkering down in Chifley for eight hours straight? Tired of the constant crowds in Marie Reay? Hancock Basement got you down? Perhaps it’s time to change where you study! With a campus bigger than Vatican City, ANU has plenty of unique study spots to discover while you’re working towards your degree. Here’s a few you might have missed.
The Psychology Building (Building 39) courtyard
For the nature lovers on campus who wish to escape the noise and bustle of Kambri, the courtyard of the Psychology Building may be perfect for you. Only a 10-minute walk from the main hub, the courtyard hosts a beautiful fountain, trees, and a few picnic tables. This spot is usually quiet, with only a few individuals frequenting the space. We recommend this space for your offline work, as the Wi-Fi is not the strongest and charging ports are absent.
Brian Kenyon Student Space (BKSS)
This space in the heart of Kambri has it all! You can study, have a cuppa, and enjoy some free toast! If you’re in the mood to procrastinate, you can meet new students and melt into the bean bags without a care. However, if you need to concentrate, this space can be loud during lunch. Here however, the Wi-Fi is strong and the charging ports are in abundance.
Llewellyn Hall Cafe (Building 100)
Located on level 5 of the establishment, the Llewellyn Hall cafe is a quiet space perfect for an intense study session. The cafe is open from Monday to Thursday, closing around 2pm. While providing an abundance of coffee and music students, the space has a limited amount of charging ports and thus, if you are in desperate need of charging this may not be the study spot for you. With warm afternoon sun streaming through the windows (albeit sometimes obstructed by ANU’s signature scaffolding) you can pretend for a moment that you are on top of those four assessments due on the weekend.
CBE Building (Building 26 C) cafe
While the Canberra chill may force you indoors, the CBE building is there to welcome you with open arms. This study spot receives the afternoon sun to warm you right up on a chilly day. Although this area is usually relatively busy, there are usually spare tables available. This space can be noisy, so popping on your headphones and watching a lecture may be ideal. Strong Wi-Fi and the motivation of CBE students studying around you may motivate you to finally polish off that essay.
The Roberston (Building 46)
The Biology Building is one of the quieter spaces on the ANU campus. It is a vast space with plenty of nooks and crannies to study in. There are plenty of charging ports here, and this area is relatively quiet, with the majority of crowds disappearing after 3pm. It also contains The Little Pickle, perhaps ANU’s most polarising cafe. However, if you want to sip your oat cappuccino next to a taxidermied platypus, the Roberston building is for you.
Lake Burley Griffin
Time to touch some grass! We reckon it’s time to study with a view. Whilst technically not on campus, a short, roughly 15-minute (depending on your location) walk to the lake may be the way to go. Being in the presence of nature may make your study experience more attractive and incline you to work that extra bit harder. A mate’s hotspot will be necessary here, but worth it if only to be able to complain to someone forced to listen about your incompetent tutor (yes, again!). This spot is also worth the walk if only to take some photos of local Canberra icons such as Telstra Tower, or the Lake Burley Griffin Water Park (season dependent) to prove to your friends that actually, yes, Canberra is fun and you love it here!
Graphics by : Shé Chani
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