Of NUS, By RH and For Raffisians
Weng Yidou
First thing first: congratulations to those who have completed your midterms and jiayous for those who are halfway! No matter which one you belong to, you must have had the experience of going to UTown all ready with your laptop and coffee, only to find all study places crowded with people, even inside Starbucks. Recess week and reading week are usually not a good time for sleeping in if you want to find a seat (away from your bed) to study for your upcoming exams, but you could save some of your sleep time by checking out this list of “hidden” study places within NUS, close to RH! Now, here come the Great Places for Grinding…
1. EA (Faculty of Engineering)
As a Raffisian, the closest well-known study place is EA building in FOE, which is only 5 minutes away from all blocks (I tested myself when I always woke up 10min before my 8am class). Apart from the seats on level 1, there are also seats and sofas for discussion around the windows on the top levels where you can access by the elevator. If you are hungry or sleepy, there is a coffee shop right beside you.
What’s more, it is open 24/7 with aircon blasting, so remember to bring your jacket!
2. Music Library at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music
To Rafflesians, the music library is another hidden study place right besides us. If you didn’t know, YST is beside the Lee Kong Chian museum across RH from the bus stop. The library is at the left after you enter the lobby. It is a small study place but do check it out when UTown is crowded!
3. COM1
Level 2 and basement study places at COM1 are open 24/7. Lots of people order food delivery and eat meals there straight. (Not too friendly for those grinding with an empty stomach though). Do note that while level 2 is open for everyone, you would need a SoC student card to tap into the basement. So ask your SoC friends to go with you!
4. UTown
UTown is always the most crowded place during recess/reading week. In Education Resource Center, You can find places ranging from air-coned PC commons and Mac commons at level 2 to the open area outside Starbucks. Do note that the commons are full most of the time but you could book in advance the seminar rooms for discussion or group study session here: https://utownfbs.nus.edu.sg/utown/apptop.aspx
Another hidden place is upstairs Fine Food. There are rows of wall-facing desks for quite self-learning. It is usually less crowded than elsewhere at UTown.
