Hello, I’m an upcoming freshman for the class of 2021 here and I was wondering if current students have suggestions for the best/coolest study spots at ND.
Thanks!!
I’m technically a Saint Mary’s Student, but I spend enough time at Notre Dame that my advice should count for something, right? 
A lot of this all depends on where your dorm is. I have a bike and don’t mind trekking across campus, so I trek across campus more frequently than some of my peers. My favorite spot is probably Geddes Hall. The Center for Social Concerns has lots of meeting spaces that they allow students to use. Cons of Geddes: It’s only open until 10 pm.
The 10th floor of the Hesburgh library is popular for silent, focused work. It’s newly renovated and has a lot of modern furniture. Other good spots in the library include the first and second floors, especially the fishbowl for group work or the scholars lounge for quiet work. The library is nice because it’s quiet and is open nearly 24 hours (it closes for a few hours on the weekends).
My friends tend to congregate in the booths of LaFun or Starbucks for more social studying-- about 50% work 50% conversation. Starbucks closes at 1, the first floor at 4, but the basement is 24 hours.
We talked to someone at Accepted Student Days who liked to sneak into the law library to study (technically verboten, but still). Your key card will not work but she would hang around the entrance and time it for when a law student was going in.
there are a couple tucked away spots that engineers like: the engineering library is usually pretty quiet and filled wit h diligent upperclassmen, who usually don’t mind you asking for help on homework or class advice. Stinson Remick is mainly used for freshman classes, senior design, and engineering clubs, and offers a couple quiet large spaces to study in good sized groups. The new engineering research building has some cool spaces that people haven’t discovered yet. Personally I like to study in really quiet spaces with little to no noise, but I know a lot who prefer the ambience of Lafun or the first floor of the library.
Your best bet would be to reach out to the juniors and seniors in your dorm come welcome week: they’ll all have their preferences and hidden gems, and they’ll probably be closer to your dorm.
My daughter is a sophomore majoring in engineering and theology. From what she tells me it is not about your study spot, but more about your study group. She seems to have a study group for all her engineering classes. They typically study at an engineering lab where the TAs are, a common area at a dorm or LaFun. If you are at an engineering lab, you can write your name on the board to be in a queue for TA help. It seems to work for her. She is doing very well and loves it at ND. Welcome to the ND family.
Depends on personal preference (e.g. quiet vs. background noise) and to some extent, location/hours. I recommend experimenting in different places and finding what works best for you.