In My Own Little Corner

The Irving S. Gimore music library.

I am not a huge library user. I tend get very comfortable in my own room, snuggled in a blanket and blaring a couple of Broadway songs in my Itunes. However, despite my hermit-like approach to studying, Yale has a couple of beautiful places where I make an exception. Sometimes you just need a break from your old study habits.  So, in case you are visiting and need some quiet places to visit, here are my favorites:

 Research Rooms in Sterling

 Sterling Memorial Library on the ground level already has some amazing rooms, but the surprises occur on the other floors in the research rooms around the Stacks. I am sad that I didn’t discover them earlier. Each room is unique in its archives, furniture and quirky balconies. The East Asian room is two stories while the Benjamin Franklin room is filled with more texts that you can imagine that belonged to him. You could study in a different one twice a day in Reading Week and still have others to explore.

Music Library in SML

Yes, this room is also part of Sterling, which really underscores the strengths of Yale’s central library. Yale added a glass atrium to one courtyard of the library and created a soaring and airy structure filled with comfy chairs and spacious tables. I also love how the space creates a comfortable silence as well.

 Kroon Hall

A study area in Yale's Kroon Hall.

I must love windows. Kroon Hall is filled with light due to its open structure. Kroon Hall is the central building for the School of Forestry and is shaped like a Native American longhouse. The building recycles heat, water and solar energy. I don’t know if that’s related to study habits, but it’s a beautiful building.

Silliman Common Room

 The Silliman Common Room looks like a hotel lobby, filled with a giant fireplace and oak paneling. It’s even better at Christmas, because the college puts in a twelve foot lit tree. I like to read in this room because I get a feel for what Yale was like in older “Bright College Years.”

 Berkeley North Court

My love for Yale courtyards comes from the shady trees, intimate archways and comfy blankets my friends bring to read on. Berkeley North Court is even better because of a hammock as well as a tire swing. However, if you want to study outdoors, be prepared for the occasional Frisbee distraction or a friend bringing a guitar to the study party.

When you get to college, just make sure you have a couple dozen study spots for yourself. It will only help come reading week.