If you’re looking for a place to do homework on-campus at Cabrillo, there are a variety of locations for quiet and collaborative study.
For a secluded location, possibly with some fresh air, Cabrillo has a vast outdoor campus to explore. Tables can be found in many places from right outside the perimeter of the library to quiet spots near the Veterans Information Center or tables by the seemingly forgotten 200 Building, and many more places you can find with a little exploration.
Likely the most well-known area where students go to get their heads in the books is the library at the center of the main Aptos campus (Building 1000). Tables and desks make up a majority of the seating space, but couches with electrical outlets are also a comfortable place to get some reading done.
The library also has many computers available for students who may not have access to a computer at home, or have simply forgotten their device. Highly coveted study rooms with air purifiers and whiteboards are nearly always occupied throughout the afternoon, but serve as a great place to get together with a study group to get work done.
The second floor of the library houses The Hub. Equipped with its Accessibility Support Center (ASC), Math Learning Center (MLC) and English Learning Center plus the Second Language Learning Lab (ESL Lab) and writing assistance, many students visit The Hub if they need help with an essay, a second opinion, some proofreading or for study sessions before a test.
McCay Ruddick, 21, a tutor at The Hub and STEM center, said, “Some days it’s slower than others. Usually a week before exams, or the day of exams, are the most busy.” The Hub also has quiet rooms for study and some study groups are held there as well.
Even if all the study rooms downstairs in the library are occupied, there are usually some available in The Hub if someone is hoping for a space. The ASC is also on the second floor if a student needs assistance or extensions on assignments due to a learning impediment.
Much like The Hub, though arguably slightly less spacious and more populated on any given weekday, is the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Center, on the top floor of the 800 Building.
Although the STEM center can be quite chaotic and loud at times given the time of day and how many students are packed in, students like Luke Verre, 19, acknowledge the value of having a helpful community of like-minded students to learn from and teach concepts to.
“There’s a little bit of a community in the STEM Center and I just find it helpful to study STEM related topics with other people, being able to get help from others and from tutors, and also when other people need help,” Verre said. “Being able to teach that and reiterate my knowledge makes it better solidified in my brain.”
Verre said the STEM Center can often become a social space rather than a place to work, but it still provides another place when work cannot be done at home. The STEM Center also provides a kitchen where students can bring food from home to store and heat up later.
Communal mugs are available if students want a tea or coffee break. One thing you may overhear from and agree with other students on is that the STEM Center can get warm and stuffy. Perhaps some air purifiers like the one’s in the library’s study rooms and other areas on campus could be of use here as well.
Students like Ari Cardoso, 20, prefer to study on campus rather than at home.
“It’s nice to study in a school environment where I can focus,” Cardoso said.
While the library is a spacious and quiet area to get work done, places like The Hub and The STEM center are excellent if a student is in need of a tutor or an active space to collaborate with others in.
