Student-Oriented Learning Space Not Compatible With Studying

As finals approach, students flock to campus to study. While there seem to be many places to choose from on Texas A&M University’s massive campus, many of these spaces are actually terrible study spots.

On the north side of campus, the Zachry Engineering Education Complex is rife with charging stations but lacks the desk space needed for any hard-working engineer. “When working on differential equations, I can charge my laptop for class, but I have no way to use a pencil and paper to work through my math homework,” said electrical engineering major Tucker Rainer. “This building may have been designed for students, but there’s no way it was designed for anyone who’s trying to work.”

Students on west campus face different obstacles in their quest to camp out at school. “The BLCC is a great place to study if you don’t mind the fact that you never leave it all week. How can I be expected to spend late nights there if there is nowhere to eat?” said junior accounting major Allie Newson.

At the Memorial Student Center, there are several food options, but all areas designed with students in mind lack seating altogether. While the Flag Room has been called the “living room of campus,” the mass of students that overwhelm the space are often found sitting on the floor.

With one of the country’s largest student bodies, one might think the university’s study spaces would be more useful for actually studying. With the lack of tables, desks, and food options on campus, many students find it to be an inhospitable study space. As campus expands, it remains to be seen if the university will ever be conducive for the studying part of being a student.

 

— Hannibal Lechner