If you’re like me, and countless other students, you’ll find it challenging to focus on work when you’re not in the right environment with the perfect ambience. Your room may not be the most productive place for focusing, as you may have realised post-quarantine! Lucky for you, UofT is big, and I mean REALLY big. 180 acres for your exploration, to be exact. There’s bound to be more than a few nooks and crannies for you to thoroughly immerse yourself in studying, and this blog will be highlighting them!
Here’s a question: how can one focus on what seems like an endless PDF copy of “Magnetohydrodynamics” when there’s a bed merely 3 metres away from you? Your Instagram DMs and Facebook notifications have been pinging off from your phone, and you suddenly feel an irresistible urge to check out that new video recommendation on YouTube. What do you do?
Well first, you read this blog for our top picks of study spots. Next, you throw your wizarding hat on and head to the first study venue on the list:
1. Emmanuel College Library
This Victorian-style library (along with many others we’ll explore soon!), looks like a place yanked straight out from Hogwarts! Despite the lengthy walk to Victoria College, you’ll find yourself infinitely focused nestled amongst the tightly-packed wooden shelves! This two-storey library is compact, but cozy in every sense of the word! The architecture resembles that of an old cathedral, with intricate carvings along the ceilings and walls, as well as vintage hanging lamp chandeliers. However, it can be rather dimly lit sometimes (unless that’s your thing) and lacking individual cubicles and group study rooms. Window seats with natural lighting are recommended! If you crave an escape from the bustling crowds at Robarts, Emmanuel College Library is for you! Should you still feel daunted with the walking distance, Museum Station is right outside the library for your convenience! Their operating hours are:
Mondays 1:30pm - 4pm
Tuesdays to Thursdays 9:30am - 4pm
Closed on Fridays and weekends
2. Knox College Library
On the topic of Hogwarts, bask in the vintage ambience of the Knox College Library! Much like Emmanuel, this library doesn’t attract crowds, so finding seats is no hassle. Your journey there is a very scenic one too, as it’s located beside the iconic University College building on King’s College Circle. Once you enter, you’re also greeted with the gorgeous Knox College garden and its old, intricate hallways! There are also a few benches and tables along the hallway that you could study on. The Knox College Library has old hanging lamps and beautiful stained glass windows which casts a warm glow into the room to set the scene for all your magic potion brewing pursuits. The library has both large tables for group work and cozy cubicles for some alone time. You can drop in anytime on:
Mondays to Thursdays 8:30am - 9pm
Fridays 8:30am - 4:30pm
Closed on weekends
3. Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library (Robarts 8th Floor)
Still feel an inexplicable pull towards the gigantic cement mass that is Robarts, but tired of the crowds and the same old scene? Worry less, and step (quietly) into the Cheng Yu Tung East Asian Library on the 8th floor! Personally, this is the library that I frequent the most, and can get the most work done! Its surroundings capture a clean, office-like simplicity whilst still retaining elements of East Asian culture! There are several individual cubicles, as well as ample large tables and study rooms for group sessions. Despite being well-lit, there are plenty of window seats for natural lighting, and not to mention the views (hello, sunsets)! However, sockets are quite hard to come by, but is currently under renovation for additional ones. Computers are provided if your devices run out of power. They operate more frequently than most libraries mentioned here:
Mondays to Thursdays 9am - 7:30pm
Fridays 9am - 6pm
Saturdays 12pm - 5pm
Only closed on Sundays
4. Noranda Earth Sciences Library (Earth Sciences Building 2nd Floor)
Hanging around Spadina or Huron and rushing to finish that 3000-word essay due tonight? Drop by at the Noranda Earth Sciences Library, on the second floor of the Earth Sciences building! This circular, two-storey library sports a spaced-out, yet cozy vibe. Although located quite a ways off, the airy and crowd-sparse environment will have you crunching those 4.0s for hours! The first floor, lined with bookshelves, has large tables if you prefer studying out in the open. If you fancy a more secluded area, head to the second floor, which borders the first like a ring and has individual desks/booths, where natural sunlight pours through the windows! Computers are also available for your use. Much like Emmanuel, the walking distance renders this library quite unpopular. This is the perfect getaway from the flocks at Gerstein or Robarts! They are open on:
Mondays to Thursdays 9am - 9pm
Fridays 9am - 6pm
Closed on weekends
Long hours ftw!
5. Bora Laskin Law Library
I don’t know about you, but staring at a computer screen for hours on end tends to set my eyes on fire. Follow the 20 - 20 - 20 rule- after every 20 minutes of screen usage, stare at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. With Bora Laskin Law Library’s abundant floor to ceiling windows, you can take a break from your involuntary quest of going blind by peering out at the ever so elegant Trinity College building, as well as Philosopher’s Walk, a scenic campus park. Being right across Emmanuel and beside Queen’s Park, it may be quite a walk as well. The modern, neat feel of the library is an uncontested nod to all the minimalists out there! With so much glass and natural light, the place is practically a greenhouse! There are large tables beside the towering windows, as well as more secluded areas inside the library like study rooms. Their working hours are:
Mondays to Fridays 9am-5pm
Closed on weekends
6. University College Quad
Our last spot isn’t like the others. It’s roofless, and wall-less. In fact, you won’t be needing tables either, because I’m talking about the University College quad! Located next to the Back Campus Fields, this large, outdoor space is relatively empty during off-peak hours (later in the afternoon) and filled with lush vegetation such as trees, flowers and shrubs which turn into fiery colours during the fall. Grab a seat on one of the benches and soak in the fresh air whilst gazing at birds and squirrels frolicking amongst the greenery. It truly is serene, and certainly a wholesome way to study for a change. Oh, and it’s open 24/7, but we wouldn’t recommend studying there at night.
Last Words
I could ramble on and on about the severely underrated study spots on campus that’ll be sure to oil your study gears, but with 44 libraries and several other spaces open to your exploration, I must give you the satisfaction of finding them yourselves. Check out this page for the comprehensive list of all the libraries that UofT has to offer!
Our UofT Campus is vast, and there’s never not a place to delve deep into revision. Remember, the right headspace is found in the right physical space!
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