Where to park your bum if you need to study

I generally write about all the fun we have at Princeton. This place is amazing, and it's definitely fun to write about the partying, the school pride, how much Harvard sucks and the fact that Princeton is simply an awesome place to spend one's collegiate years. However, as Chair of the Department of Physics Dan Marlow might be pleased to know, I actually do a fair amount of work.

Fortunately, for these times when we do need to put our minds to work, the Princeton campus presents us with a variety of study spaces. Like our student body, these study spaces and libraries are characterized by uniqueness and diversity, offering a perfect match for each Princetonian. How's that for a cheeseball admissions handbook line?

The most famous of Princeton's study spaces, is undoubtedly Firestone Library. Though it is filled with more books per person than any other university library — I think that's what they liked to brag about freshman year — Firestone offers a variety of study spaces. For those who prefer to avoid the depths of Firestone's dungeons, the Trustee's Reading Room boasts stellar wireless internet service, the company of other students and, for those of us who are lazy, proximity to the front door. More adventurous students can venture to the B and C levels to the find a place that suits them. Or if you're really overwhelmed with work, you can always just go cry in between the stacks. Someone will hear you, I promise.

Among the engineers, the Friend Center library is by far the most popular studying venue. Though the Friend Center feels like a freaking insane asylum, the library feels slightly less sterile. In addition to the communal computers on the first floor, the Friend Center is equipped with long tables, private carrel-like desks and glass rooms on the third floor. Talk about a novelty. Due to its closeness to many eating clubs, the Friend Center library is a convenient study place for many upperclassmen to get a little work done in between classes. As long as you don't mind sketchy grad students or the long trek back to campus, the Friend Center is a solid study option. Tsk tsk, it's okay, grad students, we know that not all of you run around with hairy mittens and eyedroppers.

For those in search of more novel study spaces, fear not. The Chancellor Green Rotunda is straight out of Harry Potter. I don't study there anymore because I'm always afraid that the kid next to me is going to levitate out of his chair and start flying around the room. Marquand is another location that has been gaining popularity recently. Its center-of-campus location and peaceful environment contribute to its appeal ... just don't try to steal any art books when you leave. I could go on for pages about J. Street, Rocky-Mathey, Scopes, computer clusters, etc., but most of my readers would probably read something more interesting — you know, maybe an article about Princeton's former provost posing with someone in a terrorist costume...

Before I leave you, however, I dare not neglect Frist, our campus hub. Frist is the paradigm of study space diversity. Pick your poison: Cafe Vivian, tables on the first floor, private classrooms, the East Asian library, the 3rd floor study area or in front of the big screen TV. If you're a Rubix cube — spinning nerd who needs peace and quiet, you got it. If you're a beer-guzzling (and soon-to-be Ivy League championship winning!) football jock, you can plop your bum down in front of Monday Night Football. Frist is sick.

For many of us, even the wide selection of campus study areas isn't enough. Some of us have the remarkable ability to focus in our very own rooms. Those people are probably on Adderall. Others like to find their own special, secret study spots — one that empowers its users with the gift of concentration. I'm in one right now, and I ain't telling ya where. Neel Gehani is an ORFE major from Summit, N.J. He can be reached at ngehani@princeton.edu.