In New England, a collective mindset shift occurs the instant the weather forecast predicts temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. We ditch our heavy winter coats for light sweaters and sweatshirts, and those of us who can’t wait any longer for spring to arrive pull out our shorts and flip-flops. 50 degrees is objectively not warm enough for any of these behaviors, but after months of trekking through snow squalls and wearing as much clothing as humanly possible, we New Englanders will take what we can get. The day this shift occurs, Dartmouth’s campus transforms. The Green is no longer merely empty space that we traverse on our way from one class to another; it comes alive as students picnic with friends, play spikeball and pretend to study while soaking up the sun.
On days like these, the last place I want to be is the library. Unlike many of my peers who are enjoying a two-course senior spring, having already completed their major and distributive requirements, I am unfortunately enduring one of the heaviest courseloads I have had over the past four years. Luckily, the brutal winter has led to a relatively chilly spring so far, so I haven’t felt quite so guilty holing up in the library during the day.
Spring is also admissions tour season. Everywhere I go, I am constantly running into large tour groups and waving hello to my tour guide friends. I smile to myself when I catch a few seconds of their spiel, especially the one they give in the library. After four years, I am not fazed by Dartmouth lingo, but it is amusing listening to tour guides explaining terms like “blobby” and the difference between all the “FBs.” It makes me reminisceabout all the study spaces I have spent so much time in over the course of my Dartmouth career.
I haven’t ventured up beyond FFB in a long time. There is something about those upper floors that makes me feel far away and isolated. When I study, I prefer to surround myself with lively conversation and activity. With some help from my noise-cancelling headphones and classical music, I can focus just about anywhere.
If you’re ever looking for me in the library, though, I would recommend starting your search in the East Reading Room. I discovered this study spot pretty early on in my Dartmouth career, and it is the one space that has remained in my rotation all four years. It provides the Hogwarts-esque ambiance that I crave in the fall and winter and the plentiful natural light that keeps my spirits up in the spring.
When asked about her favorite study space, Madi Shaer ’27 said her two favorites are Sanborn Library and the Rauner Special Collections Library.
“I feel like they’re on opposite sides of the spectrum: Rauner is bright with a lot of light, and Sanborn is dark and cozy. I can match my vibe with my study spot,” she explained.
Shaer also said that, if she studies during lunchtime, she likes to go to One Wheelock in the basement of Collis.
“I feel like freshmen and sophomores don’t really go [there],” she said. “It feels more like a junior and senior place to go.”
Studying in spaces outside the library seems to be a common trend among some upperclassmen. Lauren Calabrese ’26 explained that while she used to study mostly in the library, she now rarely does.
“Freshman and sophomore year, I would always go to 3FB or mainly the library because I didn’t know of other places,” Calabrese said. “And then, when I had classes in the engineering building, that’s when I started studying in [the Irving Institute for Energy and Society].”
Calabrese said the open space of the Irving atrium, natural light and proximity to the Fern Cafe are the main reasons why Irving is her favorite study space.
“I need somewhere that has a cafe or something so I can get a snack to motivate me to keep working if I’m working for a long period of time,” Calabrese added.
Similarly, Hayley Sciubba ’26 said she enjoys Irving’s natural light and proximity to her home. She also ventures even further from Baker to the Feldberg Business and Engineering Library, which is connected to Irving.
“I like to study on the monitors [there] that are usually filled with Tuck students,” Sciubba explained. “I like to have the big screens on the desktops.”
While she does most of her studying in these spaces, Sciubba still occasionally goes to the library.
“If I really have to do a lot of reading or writing, I try to pick somewhere that’s super quiet because it’s easier to focus, or I’ll put in headphones,” Sciubba said. “If I’m writing a paper, I like to go to the Tower Room for a change of pace and to force myself to study.”
With its dark wood paneling and plush velvety chairs, the Tower Room in Baker-Berry Library is perhaps the most quintessentially dark academia-esque study space on campus. I remember one of my First-Year Trip leaders telling me that the Tower Room is where she would go to nap in between study sessions. It is always just a few degrees too warm in there, but it provides a very focused and calming environment. Along with ERR, the Tower Room is one of my most-frequented library study spaces.
As the weather warms up, many outdoor spaces like the Green and Collis porch, often referred to as “CoPo” in true Dartmouth lingo fashion, are always packed. I often see students with their laptops and books open, but I find it hard to believe that anyone can get any work done with the sun shining down on them and conversations happening all around. But maybe that’s the point of spring term at Dartmouth — there will always be papers to write and exams to study for, but warm, sunny days can be hard to come by in Hanover, so we deserve to take advantage of them.
