Campus nooks to hit the books

As anyone who’s had to wade through pages of academic text can attest, a good, quiet spot for studying can make all the difference.

That’s why we’ve drawn up a list of special spaces with Concordia’s diverse student community in mind.

Whether you’re a business student looking to try out industry tools, an engineering student working on your Capstone project, or a student parent with your children in tow, here are some campus areas that might be just right for when you need to hunker down and hit the books.

Faculty of Arts & Science

Simone’s Library

Located on the 4th floor of the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Simone’s Library offers a supportive atmosphere, with a staff librarian always on hand to help students with their work. It’s a quiet study space that houses more than 2,200 books, primarily of the non-fiction, social science variety. It’s also a great place to connect with others interested in feminism and social justice.

Father Thomas McEntee Reading Room

Open to anyone looking for a soothing study area, the Father Thomas McEntee Reading Room (Room 1001.01, Henry F. Hall Building) is a sanctuary replete with hundreds of books on Ireland. The diverse collection includes early 20th-century curiosities, such as Dublin telephone directories. The space is open to all students during the day. A schedule indicating when the room is booked is posted on the door.

SP basement lounge and atrium

The basement lounge (SP SI-S132) of the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex is the only place on or near the Loyola Campus where you can find a Tim Hortons. That’s significant, given that affordable coffee is the lifeblood of most university students. It also boasts The Market, which offers artisanal sandwiches and gourmet entrées.

The space is relatively quiet and well set up for study sessions, offering a mix of larger and smaller tables with plenty of seating. As a perk, large windows that extend halfway down the area's wall, let in a good amount of natural light. For additional seating and even more sunlight, just head up the stairs to the SP atrium, which has its own seating area.

CJ Atrium

This bright space boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, little round tables, a café kiosk, and is a go-to for communications and journalism students. The space can be found on the main floor of the CJ building and, as a perk, it opens onto a large deck area with picnic tables, perfect for when the weather is warm.

John Molson School of Business

CASA Lab

The R.O. WILLS Computer Lab, more commonly referred to as the CASA lab, is available exclusively to undergraduate business students.

Its many computers are set up with Microsoft Office Suite and other software used for courses in the commerce program. Students also have access to high-quality laser colour printers on a fee-per-use basis.

To gain entry to the room, visit the lab (S1.465) and ask to create an account using your Concordia netname and password. Monitors are always present during lab opening hours and can help you with any technical issues that may arise.

MB Terrace

If you’re looking for a great outdoor study spot, look no further than the newly renovated MB Terrace. Facing north-west, the terrace is located on the fourth floor of the John Molson Building and overlooks the cityscape, providing a splendid view.

Use the picnic tables to work, snack or just bask in the sun. While located in the John Molson Building, the entire Concordia community is welcome to use the space. 

The MB Terrace is scheduled to open to Concordia students this September between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. during weekdays, and between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends.

The MB trading lab

On the 12th floor of the MB you’ll find the unique John Dobson — Formula Growth Investment Room (Room MB 12.254), or the MB Formula Growth Trading Lab. With 10 Bloomberg Terminals, 17 databases and 26 regular PCs, it’s an ideal space for student researchers.

Registered finance students are welcome to visit the lab during opening hours to familiarize themselves with industry tools and live financial software. With programs that allow you to create your own models and run your own portfolios, the trading lab is a resource intended to give finance students a competitive edge by equipping them with a practical knowledge of the markets.

A lab monitor is on duty at all times to assist with any questions you might have.

Faculty of Fine Arts

Centre For Digital Arts

Need a place to work on your video and sound projects? The Centre For Digital Arts (CDA) offers 12 private editing suites for just that.

Dedicated to providing computer and audiovisual services to Fine Arts faculty, staff and students, the CDA offers a myriad of video and sound facilities. All of its 145 Macs are installed with the latest editing software — this means better graphic cards, more RAM and near-field sound monitors.

Moreover, students with CDA memberships can use the centre’s multichannel audio studio, which is available for voice, foley and small-instrument recording (Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex, Room EV 5.615).

Technical help is always available should you have any questions. Get your CDA membership today.

Visual Collections Repository (VCR) space

Officially opened last Spring, the VCR space (EV 3.703) is a new academic and research resource that provides visual documentation and support to students in Fine Arts.

It’s also a space where they can work alongside practicing artists and curators, who will be on hand throughout the school year for both conversation and help. The space includes meeting rooms, screening rooms as a well as plenty of quiet spaces to hunker down.

Open Monday to Friday 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

EV Junction

One floor below the VCR space is the EV Junction, an atrium and student lounge located on the second floor of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV building), just above the FOFA Gallery.

Here you’ll find plenty of tables, chairs and bean bags. As an added perk, it’s right beside a student-run library, the Fine Arts Reading Room (EV 2.785) and boasts its own piano — which can be played quietly.

Fine Arts Graduate student study space

The Fine Arts Graduate student study space (FB 630) is a private area that includes a large lounge, a kitchenette, a conference room, a small meeting room and privacy booth, as well as five research labs.

The space is exclusively for Fine Arts graduate students, as well as those associated with the faculty’s research labs, and is managed by the Concordia Access Card system.

Faculty of Engineering & Computer Science

Capstone rooms

You don’t need to be a Capstone student in order to access the Capstone and project design spaces.

The space (Room H 961, Henry F. Hall Building) contains approximately 20 project rooms, each with a computer and two to three large desks, and a couple of larger meeting rooms. While priority is given to those working on capstone projects, any student in the faculty of engineering and computer sciences can reserve these rooms.

Reservations are made online or through a sheet on the bulletin board just down the hallway from the entry door. During the weekends and evenings, students are allowed to enter at will using an appointed access code.

Learn how access and reserve rooms in the Capstone Projects and Study area.

Graduate students

Dissertation writers’ rooms

While thesis writing is a crucial period in a graduate student’s academic journey, it can also be an isolating experience for many. Because Concordia knows it’s important to support its grad students during this challenging time, the Webster Library offers four dissertation writers’ rooms and a reading room for graduate students.

Located on the fifth floor, this area also has shelving and lockers for belongings and a lounge to help break that sense of isolation during marathon writing and research sessions.

Graduate students on Loyola Campus can also use the Vanier Library’s graduate study room, located on the third floor.

These areas are reserved for graduate students. You can enter them by scanning your student ID at the front door or using a valid access code.

Learn more about resources and facilities set up just for graduate students.

Student parents

CUSP Lounge

If you’re a student parent in need of a child-friendly study zone, the Concordia University Student Parents Centre (CUSP) offers just that.

The centre’s lounge (Room 24, Toronto-Dominion Building, 1410 Guy Street) gives student parents access to computers, a baby nursery and a space to relax, study and enjoy coffee and snacks. 

Designed with both parents and their children in mind, students can use their laptop or a shared desktop computer while their kids enjoy a play area equipped with toys, books, games, and more.

The CUSP is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.

More study spots!

Decked out group study rooms on both campuses

Want a study space that has the feel of a professional conference room? Look no further than the Webster and Vanier libraries.

The Webster Library boasts 15 group study rooms on the second, third, fourth and fifth floors that offer all the amenities needed for a great collaborative work experience — from a large table, six chairs and a 46” LCD screen with wired and wireless connections, to a wide-angle USB camera and multiple power outlets.

The Vanier Library also has nine study rooms located on the third floor, four of which offer digital collaboration technologies, including a 46" LCD screen with wired ports (HDMI, DisplayPort) and multiple power outlets.

Book a group study room today.

Concordia Greenhouse

An oasis in Montreal’s winter, the Concordia Greenhouse has several tables set up for studying.

Sit down, relax and pour yourself a cup of tea — there’s a kettle available for boiling water — and put those finishing touches on a paper amid the greenery.

Located on the 13th floor of the Henry F. Hall Building, the greenhouse is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday from September until April. The space is closed during the summer.

Grey Nuns Reading Room

If you need silence to concentrate, the Grey Nuns Reading Room is for you.

Just a five-minute walk from the Webster Library, the beautiful and newly-renovated chapel space operates on a strict no-talking rule, including a keyboard-free zero-noise room, so it’s an ideal place to get down to business. The Reading Room seats 192, but you can also reserve one of 14 group study rooms.

The Reading Room can be found at 1190 Guy St., and group study rooms are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and until 6 p.m. on Fridays. It’s open on weekends as well from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note, the Reading Room is closed during the summer.

The EV lounge and terrace

Want a seat with a view? No problem. Take the elevator up to the 11th floor of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts (EV) Integrated Complex, and there you’ll find a cozy lounge and terrace area.

This airy space includes comfy red couches, large wooden tables, a built-in bar with stools and floor-length windows that offer a magnificent panoramic view of the Montreal skyline.

It should be noted that access to the terrace is only permitted when a security guard is present.

Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre

If you’re looking for a relaxed space, why not try the Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre? Heat your lunch in the kitchen, get a free cup of coffee or tea, meet people from diverse backgrounds in the lounge and yes, study! The Meditation Room is a quieter space to nap, pray, meditate and also study. PERK: there’s also a piano which can be used when the room is free.

The Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre is located in Annex Z (2090 Mackay). The lounge is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (but the coffee and tea is put away at 5 p.m.). The Meditation Room is open from 9 am to 5 p.m., unless booked by groups. Summer hours are the same except on Friday, when everything closes at 1p.m.

MEAGAN'S STUDY TIP: Ask your department if there's a study group to join, or make your own, and start enjoying these productive spaces!