Where to study, read and unwind at UC Santa Cruz: Students share their favorite campus spots

UC Santa Cruz has an unusual campus ensconced in the forest, with redwood trees that tower over buildings and bright yellow banana slugs that cling everywhere from rocks to sidewalk crevices. Sometimes I have to wait for turkeys and deer to cross the street before I can park outside lecture halls – not exactly the standard “late” excuse. 

With such a sprawling campus, where do students go to read, study or simply escape campus life? 

To answer this question, I started inside Lookout’s office with my fellow interns. Ava Salinas and Brianna DuPre are both third-year students at UCSC. Salinas studies literature while DuPre focuses on environmental studies. 

Where to settle in with a good book

“East Field has the best view, but the wind can be a bit troubling,” said Salinas. East Field is the wide outdoor space next to the gym, where sports teams practice and students can be found tanning, reading or trying their luck on the slack line. On a clear day, you can even catch a glimpse of Monterey Bay. 

For DuPre, the residential college libraries offer a hideaway from the crowds at UCSC’s two main libraries – McHenry and Science and Engineering – “because they’re very small and there aren’t a lot of people,” she said. DuPre also said that she reads “at John R. Lewis [College], in the university center above the dining hall.” If you walk up the stairs at College 9 & John R. Lewis Dining Hall, you will find a small coffee shop with seating indoors by a fireplace or outside on an adjoining balcony.

Where to grind out your Canvas assignments

Next, I headed to McHenry Library, one of UCSC’s busier study hubs. What draws students here? I asked fourth-years Juliana Bolivar, Tania Campos and Aiden Ung. 

“For me, McHenry holds me responsible. I feel like being trapped in a study room with a whiteboard forces me to do my work and study. Especially with all the other students around doing the same,” said Campos, a legal studies major with a minor in education.

Ung, an art major, said he can study anywhere quiet, but goes to McHenry because it’s familiar. He also said that he “appreciates the random spots you can find to sit.”

Bolivar also values the accountability of studying at McHenry and finds comfort in working alongside other students. But her preferred study spot is Elena Baskin, one of UCSC’s art studios.

“I like being surrounded by creative people and spaces. I’m more comfortable getting my work done in a place where I know people respect me and my work,” said Bolivar, an art major.

After hearing how much Bolivar benefits from using a creative space, I wanted to know what students in other fields look for in a study spot. 

For senior Mihir Bhagatwala, a computer engineering major and computer science minor, a good study spot means having help nearby. 

“I like studying in Jack’s Lounge in Baskin because a lot of my engineering friends are there,” he said. “I feel like I gain the most knowledge from being around them or at least being able to work together to solve homework.”

Jack’s Lounge is at the heart of Baskin Engineering, across the road from the Science and Engineering Library.

But sometimes, finding the right spot means getting away from work altogether.

Where to unwind

Fern Strathman, a first-year student studying psychology, finds tranquility on the Stevenson Knoll. The small green hill is often dotted with grazing wildlife and full of students painting, sunbathing or playing musical instruments. 

“It is really pretty and you can see over East Field, so that’s really nice,” Strathman said.

The idyllic knoll is also a popular spot for catching sunsets or stargazing and is home to many campus movie nights.

First-year literature major Jessica Bell prefers to get her fresh air from the Great Meadow. 

The vast meadow is accessible behind McHenry and features a bike path that connects to the city of Santa Cruz. “I like hanging out over there to watch birds,” Bell said. 

Where I go

Finding a spot on campus that works for you – whether to study, read or take a breather – can come with some trial and error. You might first have to figure out how you study before deciding where. Personally, I need limited distractions or interruptions to really lock in, so here are the places where I usually go for each reason:

• When I need to study, I drive off-campus for a solo date at Coffeetopia (1443 Capitola Rd.).
• To read, I set up a blanket in any empty patches that I can find in Porter Meadows.
• When weather permits, I find my escape at Natural Bridges State Beach. (Fun fact: In December of my freshman year, after five hours of studying for finals, I plunged into the ocean to reset.) 

However, I have been keeping one campus spot that works for all three reasons a secret for a while now: It’s under the bridge by McHenry.

To find it, start in Quarry Plaza and walk down the elevated road toward McHenry Library. After you pass the entrance to Classroom Units 1 and 2, look for the space where food trucks often park, with a grassy path into the woods just above it. Follow the trail and continue under the bridge until you see a stone wall covered in paint. Carefully walk around the corner to the other side of the wall, and you’re in. 

Once you arrive, there’s only one bench, so leave early and plan accordingly. For me, the trip is worth the effort: the spot is hidden, Wi-Fi normally reaches from the library, and you get a sweeping view of the Witch’s Circle.

But there are plenty of other great places to work on or off campus. 

If you’re struggling to find a good study zone or can never relax at the library, try looking somewhere unexpected – perhaps a picnic table at the Arboretum or the fairy circle behind Porter Dining Hall.

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