The sun is shining, the skies are blue and ‘tis the season… to completely lose our heads over exams and deadlines. That’s right, the start of term is upon us and with it comes the creeping dread that we haven’t quite done enough.
And all we really want to do is go to Exmouth. Sigh.
But revision and essay-writing doesn’t have to be painful. Sure, it’s a bit of a drag, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t leave your desk, and take the books out and about. We know all the classics; Amory, Queens, any of the study spaces around campus, but sometimes it’s nice to get out a bit further for a change of scenery.
Without further ado, here are a few spots around our city and university which might inspire you to dip back into the books, without feeling like your soul is being sucked out by all you need to learn…
Boston Tea Party
A firm favourite for students, be it third-years holed up with a laptop, bashing out the final touches on a dissertation, or those revising for first and second year exams, BTP is a lovely, airy space to take your books and crack on with some work whilst enjoying a coffee and a slice of cake. With a large selection of brunches, lunches, herbal teas and everything in between, you’ll be well-fuelled for a study session here!
Artigiano
Despite its reputation as mainly a pricey cocktail bar, during the day Artigiano sells reasonably priced drinks and smoothies, and they don’t seem to mind if you sit in there for hours at a time slaving away over your books or laptop. Situated in the middle of the high street, this coffee bar has leather sofas, bar stools and numerous tables for you to choose from, where you can spend the day looking out into the sunshine and forcing yourself to work. Great, right?
Reed Hall
Just so you don’t start to think that buying a coffee is compulsory to study around Exeter, let’s not forget about our own beautiful gardens around Reed Hall! There’s benches in any number of hidden corners within the gardens, perfect to sit with a book now that the weather is getting warmer. Go over those notes, it’s usually pretty quiet so you won’t be disturbed by the comings and goings on campus!
Northcott Theatre Café aka The View Restaurant
Not frequented by many students, the café at the Northcott Theatre is a light, quiet space (unless there’s a show about to start!) where you can sit with your books or your computer at a table overlooking campus without running into familiar faces, with whom you’d obviously get distracted and “take a break” to get a Pret latte. Other than offering refreshments, the café is conveniently located on campus without bringing with it the atmosphere of stress which you find in most study spaces.
Glorious Art House
And closing with a classic, Glorious is a favourite for its cosy interiors and BRILLIANT hot chocolates, even if the place has a slightly cramped feeling once it’s at capacity. But if you go at the right time (hint: avoid lunchtime at weekends) then it’s a lovely place to work, overlooking Fore Street and taking arty pictures of the walls and table decorations to procrastinate… Did I say that? I meant being productive. No procrastination here.
