Starting tomorrow, everyone on campus will buckle down and begin studying for finals. The obvious places to study will be the library, Starbucks or Midnight Oil. More than likely, these places will be packed. Here are a few places that you might want to consider going instead.
Searcy Library
If you like the vibe and feel of studying at the library, then the Searcy Library is a good alternative for you during finals week. It is much smaller than the Harding Brackett Library, but it is still quiet and distraction-free. The largest drawback about the Searcy Library is that there is not much desk space, only about five tables in the whole library. However, there are plenty of comfortable chairs that are perfect for you to sit in and finally finish reading that book you have been putting off all semester.
For hours visit http://www.wcrls.org.
Education Resource Center
Located on the third floor of the Thornton Education Building in room 334, this place is kind of along the same line as the library but with a bit more energy. The ERC looks like it belongs in an elementary school. There is a good amount of seating here, about 10 tables with four chairs each. They offer cheap snacks and drinks, including coffee. This place is perfect if you like studying in the library, but prefer a more relaxed and fun atmosphere. One downside for the ERC is that there is no social etiquette for volume. In the library, it is customary for people to be as quiet as they can, while at the ERC, there is no standard for volume control. Sometimes you can hear a pin drop, other times it is as loud as the student center after chapel.
For hours, visit http://www.harding.edu
Hard Back Cafe
If you cannot stand the library or anything similar to it, or if you like to study in places like Midnight Oil or Starbucks, this option might be for you. Some people can only study in the midst of chaos, otherwise known as the coffee shop. The Hard Back Cafe is quite possibly the most underutilized coffee shop in Searcy. It has good, cheap coffee, and is normally empty. There are two very comfortable couches and a couple of tables but not very many. The Hard Back is a cool place because it has the Starbucks feel but is not as crowded.
For hours, visit http://www.gohastings.com
Mr. Postman, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and
Sno Island
These three places made the list because they have that cool, unconventional vibe to them. They have their own benefits and drawbacks. Mr. Postman has an amazing atmosphere, but limited seating.
Tropical Smoothie has good hours, lots of seating and good food but can get super busy. Sno Island is within walking distance of campus and has great ice cream but closes pretty early. If you choose to go and study at any of these three, it is only appropriate that you purchase something. If you feel like you are in a studying rut and cannot seem to get yourself to buckle down and hit the books, then these locations might be for you. A change of scenery can do a lot of good.
For Mr. Postman’s hours call (501)-305-2333
For Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s hours visit http://www.tropicalsmoothie.com
For Sno Island’s hours visit http://www.snoislandsearcy.com
Maddie’s Cafe on the Square, Main Street Cafe, Waffle House and McDonald’s
These places are here for those of you that have finals early in the day. Wake up even earlier than your final and go get a good breakfast and do some last minute cramming. All four of these locations are cheap, and if you go early enough, there will not be a problem with seating. All dorms open at 5:30 a.m.
For the hours for Maddie’s Cafe on the Square and Main Street Cafe, visit their respective Facebook pages. McDonald’s is open 24 hours.
