XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Queen's University Academics
By Carolyn Coles

You're paying big bucks to be here at Queen's. You worked your ass off to get here and likely you'll have to work fairly hard to stay here.

Add to that a desire to have a dazzling social, sex, and extracurriclar life and you've got a lot to look after.

You have to make your time here count. It's not hard to have a great work / play balance. In fact, it's what makes Queen's so great. People here know how to work hard and play even harder.

Granted, working hard really is only half the battle. You have to know what you are getting yourself into. Getting a 90% average in PoliSci just ain't going to happen - but it's one of the most rewarding programs of study at Queen's. In the mood for studying and headed to the second floor of Stauffer Library? Think again.

Go into your education at Queen's armed with the advice of upper years. Your education here isn't all about courses and grades and midterms. It's about learning how to live on your own and how to create interesting new relationships.

study spots

Like it or not, you'll be spending a fair bit of your time at Queen's studying, and sometimes your ghetto house with eight million distractions just doesn't cut it. We've compiled a list of some of the greatest spots on and off to campus to study.

The Common Ground

Otherwise known as CoGro, Common Ground is more than just your average study stop. Here you can enjoy a number of coffee-based beverages, along with smoothies, iced teas, and Italian sodas. They also have sandwiches (recommended: the Ham, Apple, Cheddar) and cake- really, really good cake. Located on the second floor of the JDUC, Common Ground has ample space filled with comfy sofas and armchairs, along with regular tables. It can certainly get noisy and rowdy here, but you are likely to bump into classmates who you can woo classnotes for say, the price of a Peachy Queen's smoothie.

Fireside Reading Room

Located on the second floor of Stauffer Library is a big room filled with large oak tables and warm fireplaces. Honestly, why would you study anywhere else? The room looks out over the corner of Union and University and is a picture perfect spot for studying. It can be hard to find a table in here, especially if you want a whole one to yourself. So go early and stake a claim.

The Sleepless Goat

Located at 91 Princess Street, the Sleepless Goat, or just 'the goat' as regulars call it, is a workers cooperative coffee house serving up affordable fair trade coffees, desserts and vegan fare. They showcase local art on the walls and have lots of tables and chairs.

Starbucks at Johnson & Division

This Starbucks is one of the nicest coffee shops I have ever seen, as it is located inside a beautiful, old limestone building- something that was well incorporated into the store’s design. Here you will encounter the usual Starbucks fare, free wireless, and many, many students. This is a good place to study in the evenings, and is always a great place to enjoy an overly complicated drink while surfing the Internet.

Coffee and Company

Located directly across the street from the Johnson and Division Starbucks is Coffee and Company, a local chain. The selection is fairly wide here, and prices are moderate. The chai latte is well worth trying. Coffee and Co. has another location downtown at Princess and King that is far more elaborate has a good number of tables and chairs, plus the staff doesn't mind if you stay for hours.

The Grad Club