Study Spots

/u/chilylugia

This might be my last year at UBC, so my partner encouraged me to study at every single building on campus! (since I’ve only pretty much studied at the biology building for the past few years LOOOL)

I hope that this will also encourage y’all to check out different buildings for study spots as well!

A collection of 50 study spots on UBC's campus, with photos and a review of each spot, by /u/chilylugia. Thank you to /u/chilylugia for putting this together!

1. Pharmaceutical Sciences BuildingA bit farther out, with quite a few study spots on the first floor. Gets busy around noon in between classes, but mostly quiet-Ish. However, there aren’t a lot of spots with plugs.October 23, 2023

2. AMS NestThere’s a BUNCH of spots here, but gets taken / busy pretty much all the time. It opens pretty late as well, so you can do some pretty late night grinds. I personally study on the third and second floors sometimes.October 23, 2023

3. Woodward LibraryVery quiet as you’d expect, with plenty of seats with some plugs. The wifi is pretty good here, though it was a bit busy when I came here around afternoon. Pretty nice space overall.October 23, 2023

4. Student Life BuildingI came during a holiday Monday, so hella empty, but usually pretty busy whenever I walk past it. Not too many plugs around here though, but a few food and drinks options.October 23, 2023

5. School of Population and Public HealthVery few spots in the basement, but pretty quiet with not too many people around.October 23, 2023

6. IKBThe classic study spot, very overcrowded and a lot of talking. Good luck finding a spot here, but has plenty of outlets, though I am personally not a big fan of studying here tbh.October 23, 2023

7. MacMillian BuildingPlenty of spots at Agora Cafe, with no too many plugs here. But the seating is very comfy, and a very nice vibe here.October 23, 2023

8. Life Sciences InstituteVery spacious with a lot of study spots, but a bit out of the way like the pharmacy building. Also a lot of seats with plugs, highly recommend!October 23, 2023

9. HenningsNot a lot of study spots, the one I found is in the hallway. It’s honestly pretty nice here, my only complaint is that the washrooms are pretty out of the way lol.October 23, 2023

10. ICICSPretty of study space, well lit, and plenty of plugs! Gets busy sometimes, but I do like this spot a lot too.October 23, 2023

11. ForestryOne of the prettiest building on campus to study at! Which means that the seats are hella hard to come by, but if you do manage to snatch a seat, there’re plugs in every table and even a Tim’s nearby.December 5, 2023

12. Leon and Theo Koerner University CenterVery quiet down here with a kitchen! Not too many study spots, weak-ish wifi, and out of the way (by Rose Garden), but it’s got plenty of natural light and plugs for each table.December 5, 2023

13. Brock HallOverall pretty quiet here, with not that many people! I say one of the nicest places on campus, with a lot of seats with plugs, just not too much places to sit and study though. Definitely somewhere worthwhile to explore around for your own spot!December 5, 2023

14. LASRDefinitely a spot that I won’t recommend LOL. The seats are comfy-ish, and there’s many charging plugs, but there’s no desks anywhere. So this is great for a quick study sesh, I studied here for 3 hours and my back hurts :,)December 5, 2023

15. IonaSuper nice and cozy is here! It’s very out of the way, but definitely worth the trip! It’s pretty crowded after 2pm, so I would come earlier. There’s a kitchen area with a microwave too, so great for a long study sesh with many plugs by the wall seats!December 5, 2023

16. Allard HallPretty out of the way, but that’s why there’s plenty of seats around. Not all of them have plugs or a desk that’s a decent height, but it’s chill here with some decent wifi.December 5, 2023

17. Asian LibraryOut of the way, but pretty empty most of the time. There’re a good amount of plugs and a lot of natural light. They have a kitchen too, quite a nice comfy spot! The chairs are VERY comfy.December 5, 2023

18. BuchananExtremely busy as you might expect, especially hard to find spots in between classes, but good amount of plugs and desk space if you do. This building is huge, so it was fun to explore around and find different spots!December 5, 2023

19. Law LibraryOut of the way, but man this place is REALLY nice. All of the desks have plugs, lamp, and overall great lighting. It’s very quiet here, and chairs are comfy as well. Highly recommend this place for studying if you don’t mind going out of your way, though it does get busy around afternoon.December 5, 2023

20. David Lam LibraryThis is the library in Sauder, and there’s a LOT of spots here! Many of the desks have plugs and private covers, so perfect for napping too. Again, comfy seats and good lighting, recommend this place as well. Though it gets busy too around noon.December 5, 2023

21. Math AnnexHonestly a very nice study spot with barely any people and chargers at both tables… yes, there’s only two tables here on the second floor, so you’ll have to get lucky 🤣 I actually quite enjoyed studying here though!January 16, 2024

22. Swing SpaceIt’s a very nice building with some great natural lighting, though there’s barely any wall plugs. So you want to do a short study sesh, or you don’t care about charging a device, I highly recommend studying here!January 16, 2024

23. Koerner LibraryVery quiet library to study at, with a lot of seats, and decent amount of plugs as well! It’s a very solid location to study, with great napping spots in the basement. The fire alarm got pulled when I was studying there though 🥲January 16, 2024

24. Aquatic CentreYes, apparently this is considered a study spot, and no, this is the worst one by far… 🤣 it’s very hot and humid, with the swimming pool smell and no wall plugs… I also felt super awkward since there’re people swimming around LMAOJanuary 16, 2024

25. OrchardThere’re surprisingly a lot of study spots in orchard! Definitely a lot of people studying here, I’m guessing residents, so the wifi is actually pretty good, and there’s plenty of lighting and wall plugs! The couches are also comfy to nap on :)January 16, 2024

26. X̱wi7x̱wa LibraryVery quiet space with pretty much nobody around! Not much seating and plugs, so great place to go for a silent alone studying sesh. Since it’s a small library, I was too scared to eat snacks and stuff LOL, so I dunno if you’re allowed 🤣January 16, 2024

27. Hugh DempsterI wasn’t too much of a fan for this place… the wifi is VERY weak for me, and the seating is too high, so my posture was shit. Despite the nice lighting and wall plugs, there aren’t too many seats either.January 16, 2024

28. CEMETwo tables here with somewhat accessible wall plugs. The seats aren’t the most comfy, but the lighting is very nice and actually a nice spot to study at. There are couches for midday naps too!January 16, 2024

29. War Memorial MuseumIt was the cold snap when I went, so it was very cold in here, especially since the tables are right next to a door… there aren’t wall plugs nearby either, so I wasn’t a huge fan. But it’s right next to the bus loop, so convenient if you want to study for a bit before a bus comes!January 16, 2024

30. Engineering Design CentreVery quiet here with not many people. The seats on the second floor all have plugs, and the wifi is very strong here too! I honestly quite like this spot, and I highly recommend it :)January 16, 2024

31. Engineering Student Centreplenty of tables and plugs to study at, great for group work! Gets pretty busy as you might expect, but they have a microwave as well for your food needs too! 7/10March 5, 2024

32. Food, Nutrition, and Health Buildinglooks a bit sketchy on the outside, but nice and comfy inside! They have a decent number of seats on multiple floors, and most of them have plugs too! The wifi is strong here too, which is very nice. 8/10March 5, 2024

33. Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainabilitya nice spot that has a decent number of seats but not a lot of plugs. The lighting isn't the best either, though they do have a food place to buy snacks and stuff. They also have a microwave, which is also nice. 5/10March 5, 2024

34. MacLeod Buildingone of the top spots for sure, great lighting, many plugs, and many floors with many desks! There's quite a lot of people when I came around lunch, but a very nice place to study! Good wifi too 9/10March 5, 2024

35. Hebb Buildingyeah this one isn't it LOL there's no tables here, just some seats and stuff. If I ever do a napping spot review, this place would be too nice they have some very comfy bean chairs… but for studying, definitely not it :/ they've got plugs tho 2/10March 5, 2024

36. Fred Kaiser Buildingthe classic engineering building with a Starbucks and many tables across multiple floors! There's a few quieter spots in the upper floors (they were full :/), but plenty of places on the first floor with great lighting and wifi! Most of the spots have plugs, so quite a solid spot! 8/10March 5, 2024

37. Abdul Ladhathis is only the second time I've studied here despite studying science for 6 years here LOL it's quite nice here, with microwaves and mini kitchen. The upper floor has some amazing lighting and comfy seats, but not too many plugs and super busy. The first floor (where I was) has plenty of plugs and quite study tables, but no natural light, but I kinda like it down here :) 7/10March 5, 2024

38. Earth Sciences Buildinggreat spot to study here! Great lighting, many plugs, many tables, but does get pretty busy. When I came at around 9:30am, most of the spots were already taken, but it's a very good spot 7/10March 5, 2024

39. Instructional Resources Centrepretty much the study space at Woodward, so one of the busiest spots on campus unfortunately. The seating and tables are sorta comfy, but they have plenty of plugs. Took a nap there on the couch seats, kinda comfy..? 6/10March 5, 2024

40. Sauderhonestly not that many tables to study at that's at the right height… many of them are coffee tables for hanging out and stuff, but they do have quite a lot of tables at Loafe Cafe! I thought this place is alright, the lighting is mid, and just some plugs lying around 5/10March 5, 2024

41. Leonard S. Klinck BuildingI've always camped at the math resources centre during finals, so I'm surprised to see some other study spots around here! There's a few desks behind a lecture hall, and honestly, it was a pretty nice spot, though there's tons of foot traffic since it's behind a lecture hall haha. There're quite a few plugs, and the chairs are quite comfy too! 7/10April 2, 2024

42. Geography Buildingold building from the outside, but quite a nice study lounge on the inside! Tons of natural lightning and comfy couches/seats make this spot quite nice, though they aren't a lot of seats and plugs. They've also got some vending machines here for some overpriced snacks. 8/10April 2, 2024

43. Ponderosaquite spacious with a few spots scattered here and there, but tons of bookable study rooms. It's pretty quite down here, with some natural lighting and wifi, overall not too shabby! 6/10April 2, 2024

44. Biological Sciences Buildingfirst time I've studied here after I started exploring everywhere else for study spots… honestly, this is still one of my favourite LOL great lighting, plenty of seating and plugs, and good wifi, can't ask for more. 10/10April 2, 2024

45. Mercantesurprisingly, quite a lot of seats and study rooms right beside the pizza place! Definitely got a nice food smell for when I studied, so that definitely distracted me a bit oops. The seating on the desks isn't super comfy, but most spots have plugs. 5/10April 2, 2024

46. Chemistry Buildingboth nostalgic and traumatic coming back to study at the chem resources centre… I remember crying over ochem homework back in CHEM121 and CHEM123, but honestly, it's a very nice place to study overall. Not too much seats, but many of them have great lighting and plugs. 9/10April 2, 2024

47. Douglas T. Kenny Buildinghonestly didn't know this place existed before I started exploring for study spots, such a nice building (on the inside, not outside)! There's a lounge here, with a couple of seating here and there. Not too many seats have plugs though, but they have some comfy couches for just hanging out. 6/10April 2, 2024

48. English Language Institutesuch a nice building here! There's tons of natural lightning, desks, and plugs, with some strong wifi too. It's got a cozy atmosphere, and definitely one of my favourites now… though the some of the bench seating is a bit hard. 9/10April 2, 2024

49. Koerner Pavillionstudied at the Corner Cafe here, plenty of seats but only a few with plugs here. There's also no ubcsecure here, but eduroam is decently strong. The seats are also not super comfy, so definitely not a place I'll study at tbh… also it took me forever to find the exit after the closed the entrance to the cafe LOL 2/10April 2, 2024

50. Sing Tao Buildingdidn't even know UBC has a journalism degree LOL this building is actually pretty nice inside, but most of the nicer spots (like their lounge) is for students only, so I just found a seat in the hallway. Got wifi and very limited seats with plugs, not a recommended place to study here, but cozy inside :) 3/10April 2, 2024