A bar and music venues in the evenings, the Grad Club is an overlooked spot to get some daytime studying done. It's a huge old mansion right on campus on the corner of Barrie and Union and has three floors filled with nooks and crannies for studying in. They have a limited lunch menu and cheap drinkings that flow all day long. So if that Pot Shard labelling is getting you down, just grab a tall one.

Indigo (Starbucks)

For some reason or another my favourite study spot is the Starbucks in the Indigo on Princess. Located on the top floor of Indigo there's a small Starbucks with lots of seating and a great view of Princess street. Sure it's nothing special, but the atmosphere is really great. They pack lots of little tables into a small space, so you are always bumping, literally, into a friend or a friend of a friend or a classmate. Plus, you are welcome to browse the selection of books at Indigo for inspiration or those well earned study breaks!

bird courses

Queen's certainly offers some of the most stimulating and challenging courses out there; the majority of the courses I've taken at Queen's were tough. However, there exists a certain batch of courses that are so hard to fail it's nearly impossible. Read on ...

Physics 020 (Physicists in the Nuclear Age): Aside from being, bar none, the easiest course I've ever taken at Queen's, PITNA was a fabulous course. Boris, the prof, is well spoken, bright, and funny, and he makes the lectures fascinating. Now, I'm not sure how great this courses is going to look on your transcripts, but a 96% beside Pysics 020 can't look that bad. C'mon, it's 'science'. Anyway, the course sort of delves into great physics minds of the 20th century and makes for some great dinner party conversations. If you've got the spare time take this course without hesitation. Everyone enjoys it.

Film 250 (Fundamentals of Production): In order to take this class you need to have Film 110, which most kids take in first year (it sounds easy, I mean you watch movies right?). Anyway, FIlm 110 is not a bird course. It's not the hardest class there is, but it doesn't fit into this category. Anyway, after 110 you have a wealth of film courses open to you. If you like being bored out of your skull and want an easy A, take Film 250. I guarantee you will learn next to nothing, make a short film, and walk away with a boosted GPA. Word of the wise, this is the most painfully slow moving class I have encountered. Take it in the summer session if you can, as the class hours are dramatically cut.

Health 131 (Basic Human Nutrition): This may have been the most useful course I took during my time at Queen's - and it's certainly up there with the least, err, challenging. After taking this course I walked away with a greater understanding of the human body, I knew how to eat well, and I got an A. The work load is light, very light. I took the course by correspondence in the summer and still managed a month long backpacking stint in Europe in the middle of the class. So, if you are at all interested in nutrition, calories, weight loss, or just general good health, take this course.

libraries

Queen's has some amazing libraries, their collections are immense and their architecture stunning at times. Chances are you'll be spending a fair amount of your time at Queen's holed up in a study carrel here, paying your overdue book fees, or frantically tracking down that required reading.

Food is allowed in the libraries in small quantities, and don't think about bringing in your curry from last night. Use commmon sense and bring in small, quiet study foods. Drinks can be brought in so long as they are sealable. Additionally, there are a few vending machines with pop, candies, gum, and random stationary. Plus, you are never more than a few meters away from an on campus coffee shop!