Great Group Study Spots in Berkeley
Top Places for Group Work Around Cal
When midterms and finals come around study spots on campus can be difficult to find. It’s even worse if you’re looking for enough space to accommodate a group for a project or study session. Fortunately, there are a lot of great places around Berkeley that can usually be relied upon to provide a few open tables and chairs during the most crowded times of the semester.
To save you some time (so you can use it to study), we’ve brought together some great spots that are perfect for all of your project and test preparation needs.
Haas Business Library
While most other campus libraries and common study areas are always full during exam season, the Haas Library always seems to have a few open tables. Maybe it has to do with its location far to the East of campus or maybe it’s just not well known. Whatever the reason, it’s one of the quietest and open spots you’ll find at Cal. Its two floors of study space and meeting rooms are perfect for quiet teams that simply want to read and ask each other questions or groups that require a lot of discussion and space. An added bonus is the Haas cafe only a minute away if you and your peers need a quick break to recharge. If you’re looking for an amazing campus study spot give Haas a try.
Au Coquelet
Au Coquelet is the place to be for when you need a place that’s open late. During finals, 24/7 study spots are made available all around campus, but they can still be quite crowded or, in the case of midterms, not really offered at all. Au Coquelet keeps their doors open till two in the morning and provides ample table space, outlets, stable WiFi, and plenty of caffeine. They even have a full restaurant attached so you and your team don’t need to stop what you’re doing in order to get food. If you need a place to finish a project that’s due the next morning or prepare for a test the next day try Au Coquelet.
Berkeley Coffee Company
Berkeley Coffee Company is remarkable in that it’s located in the heart of downtown Berkeley but is rarely full when other nearby spots are totally packed. This does, however, present a great opportunity for those looking for a reliable spot to work downtown. You’re covered on table space and outlets here as well as food with their superb cafe menu. The atmosphere tends to be a bit on the quiet side but that’s not a requirement. If you’re after an accessible spot with lots of space for your group that’s also pretty peaceful you should put Berkeley Coffee Company on your list.
Berkeley Public Library
This might seem obvious to some, but with so many campus libraries it’s easy to overlook the great public one in Berkeley. The Berkeley Public Library becomes particularly valuable during finals when everywhere else on campus is packed. Due to its rules about food and its hours, many students avoid it in favor of the 24/7 campus spots. Take advantage of this. Odds are your group doesn’t need to work together all day anyhow. It’s here that you’ll find several floors of quiet space, long (clean) tables, plenty of outlets, and free WiFi. It has everything you’ll need. If you need to do a lot of talking it’s probably best to try another spot on this list, but if you and your friends are after a place away from the stress of campus that has everything you need to focus and succeed you’ll want to remember the Berkeley Public Library.
Eudemonia
Eudemonia is a game store in Berkeley so what does it have to do with this list? Nobody would expect this place and that’s why it makes the cut. Eudemonia is indeed a game store but it also has an extremely large event area full of tables and chairs that are often unused most of the day. This means that if you’re looking for an air conditioned spot to gather at with lots of space in a chill environment you’ll find it here. While they don’t offer WiFi, it’s free to hang out. If you’re in need of space to go over reading or work offline and you’re not having any luck finding a space, Eudemonia is always a viable option.
Victory Point Cafe
Another game place but it follows the same reasoning as Eudemonia. However, Victory Point Cafe is a bit better situated with its WiFi and cafe food and drink selection. It’ll be too busy in the evenings, but if you’ve got a group that wants to meet up in the morning and in the early afternoon then Victory Point could be the best place in town. It’s usually quiet and has nice big tables to make use of. An added bonus is its selection of over 800 games. For only $5 a person, it offers a great way for you and your team to unwind from the stress of exams and projects. If you’re looking for a fun spot to be productive you’ll have a hard time finding something better than Victory Point.
Great Spots for Your Next Project or Study Session
The next time the campus gets too busy get out and get to one of these fantastic spots. Just because your test is on campus doesn’t mean you have to study there. Now you can spend less time seeking out a spot that fits your group and more time actually getting things done. One less stressful thing to deal with.
Good luck. And remember, you can always refer to this list and many other great local guides from the community on the Gojurn app (available for iOS and Android). Know of a spot you think we should have mentioned? You can let us know here.