Hey prospective Brown students,
During winter break, we will be renovating the Minority Recruitment Blog and will posting very infrequently until the end of January, when students return to campus.
Regards,
Minority Recruitment Interns
To study, that is.
Here it is– part two of my study space scavenger hunt; an attempt to highlight the many different and wonderful places that Brown students go to do their reading, their problem sets, write their papers. Because, face it, a large portion of college is doing work, and having a study space to fit every mood is a lovely thing. Trust me.
Our third study space (one and two were the dorm and the Sciences Library, see my previous post here) is the John D. Rockefeller Library, affectionately known as the Rock on campus.
The Rock is our largest humanities library on campus, and as a marine biology concentrator I hardly ever find that I need to go to the Rock when I’m doing research for my classes. But, yesterday was the exception. I ordered a bunch of books through our Interlibrary Loan System for my group term paper project in Conservation Biology (BIOL1470), and one of them was microfiche, and the readers are at the Rock. So, off to the Rock I went.
One of the more commonly used discipline-wide spaces at the Rock is the Absolute Quiet Room, or the AQR, and it’s definitely one of my favorite spaces on campus. I enjoy chatting with my friends as I do work as much as anyone else, but sometimes you really just need to buckle-down and get some work done. And it really is quiet in there– your fellow AQRers won’t tolerate any noise. I spent quite a bit of time in there studying for my physics exam a couple weeks ago, and several 8am-5pm days in there last fall studying for my MATH0090 (calculus) final exam.
And, of course, for the humanities and social science concentrators, there are millions (and I really mean millions) of books.
That’s all for now! Stay tuned for some non-library spaces to get your studying on.
Despite the plethora of events held on Brown’s campus each week, it’s always nice to spend an evening enjoying what the city Providence has to offer. On Saturday evening with some of my closest friends, I sat on the edge of the canal sipping hot apple cider, listening to the live music, and seeing people smiling in the smoky breeze.
WaterFire
WaterFire is the free public arts event held several times a month between May and October, drawing 40,000 to 60,000 people each time. It’s a marriage of fire, water, music and performance. The fires are built in braziers, metal pans that hold the burning logs, and set up along three rivers in downtown Providence for two-thirds of a mile. The event starts at sunset with the lighting of the fires and runs until after midnight, giving this New England city a Venice-style feel.
This particular WaterFire was a joint effort with the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, which aims to raise awareness and educate people about breast cancer, and generate money for breast-health programs.
The State House.
As the flames dance just above the river’s surface you can’t help but feel that WaterFire is a deeply-moving and magical experience. As Brown student’s, we have the opportunity to take part in this special event.
Brown is truly a diverse place. As I like to say at the close of my tours, one of the reasons I chose Brown was for it’s diversity. I usually talk about three types of diversity: racial/ethnic diversity, diversity of opinions about political questions that occupy the rest of the country and the world, and a diversity of passions. One thing that I don’t mention is the diversity of places to study!
It might seem a weird thing to talk about, but it’s true and is really one of the things I enjoy most. There’s a study space for any kind of mood and work. For the next few posts, I’ll be sharing some of my favorites.
First Up: Dorm!
It may seem obvious, but many Brown students study in their dorms, myself included. My favorite time to study in my room is early mornings on the weekends. It’s really quiet, and I don’t have to change out of my pjs, which can be a nice slow start to a Saturday or Sunday morning. Also, bad weather often convinces me to stay in my room rather than journeying somewhere else. I have everything I need! My desk is usually a little on the cluttered side (I never can seem to keep it clean), but that means I always have access to pens, my printer, and the always indispensable post-its. Plus, I’ve got my room decorated just the way I like it, so whenever I need a break I can take a look at my extremely colorful walls.
Second: The Frisc, SciLi
The Frisc, an affectionate name for the Friedman Study Center in the SciLi (Brown’s pet name for the Sciences Library) is one of my favorite library spaces to study. It’s full of oddly-colored and shaped furniture, and it’s definitely one of the more social spaces on campus to study. The Frisc is basically open 24-7, and you can eat there, which is a definite plus when you don’t quite have time to sit down at the Ratty and eat a real meal.
My favorite study spot in the Frisc is in one of the back corners. In the four corners, there are these glass atria you can sit in front of. My personal favorite is the bamboo one. It’s such a calming spot to study, especially in the late morning and early afternoon on a clear, sunny day, when the light dapples in and makes beautiful patterns on the floor. Here’s where I was earlier this evening:
So, that’s two study spaces at Brown. Stay tuned for more!
