He is black, elegant and curious. Sometimes he has a question mark in his tail which demonstrates his eternal quest for knowledge. You can easily spot him roaming among the scholars at Warwick University campus wearing his high-visibility jacket. His daily adventures begin at the heart of our campus, between the Economics department where his secret food stash is hidden and the Library where every aspiring academic and devoted student spends most of their academic lives. His name is Rolf, a good spirit of Warwick’s Community. In this post, we will reveal all study spaces in the Warwick Library, including those our feline fellow likes to explore…By Kayvon Taee
Finding that “one place” to focus is an essential part of a student’s life. It’s like Goldilocks and the three bears – some study spaces are too noisy, others are too quiet! Fortunately, the library has many study spaces catering to all needs, whether it may be group work or just that one place to get people into a productive mood! Should you visit often enough, you may even discover a certain furry visitor…
Main Library
My fondest memories of uni have come from the library, including attending the Study happy sessions as effective stress busters with friends and working with others on a really tough assignment! The Main Library is open 24/7 throughout the year so whether you are a night owl or an early bird, you can be sure the library and their friendly staff will be there to greet you! For those doing a research degree, you’ll have access the Wolfson Research Exchange on Floor 3x, where you can network with fellow researchers! Sometimes if you are lucky, Rolf may make an appearance as he attended the Cat Tales event and had a great time with research students and staff!
Learning Grid Rootes
This relaxing study space has bookable rooms where you can practice group presentations but also has quiet study area (like floors 3 – 5 and 2x from the library) if you prefer to work independently. I have personally used the bookable rooms quite often when presenting my work to my friends and has led to quite a few top marks as a result! The language exchange program also occurs in the bookable rooms on Tuesdays, where you practice your language skills and meet new friends! The learning grid located in Rootes building, opposite Curiositea and next to Costa Coffee and is open 8 am to 10 pm every day during term time.
University House
Based just 10 min away from the library on the main campus, it is very useful alternative study space, as it is the closest to Tesco and comes equipped with a microwave to heat up your food outside the learning grid. As someone who lives in the Canley area, it is only a 15 min walk and it has all the books for reference I need! I studied here throughout my exams in term 2 and while it is quiet study, you can do group work, providing the perfect balance of noise level and the flexibility to work with friends as well! It’s open from 7 am to 10 pm every day. My personal favourite!
BioMed Grid
I have used this learning grid many times whilst studying my biology module and when I undertook a summer research project in neural cell biology. It has many useful references if you are studying a life sciences degree or Graduate Entry Medicine, where they even have models of the human body! They are open from 8 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 10 am to 6 pm weekends. While it is based in Gibbet Hill, the trip is worth it as you can feel immersed in nature as you walk through the Tocil Wood Nature Reserve and you may even spot Rolf, as it is one of his favourite places to visit!
The Postgraduate Hub (For postgrads only)
Conveniently located inside the Senate House, you can easily stock up on cold food and drinks at Rootes Grocery Store and get cracking on work! There are several rooms for group study but is generally for independent work. You can get easy access to both hot and cold water and for those moments you just need to switch off, there is a relaxation room filled with board games, bean bags, a bubble tube, yoga mats and many more! It’s open from 9 am to midnight every day. I’ve also heard that Rolf loves to visit the PG hub and do some crafts with other postgraduate students because he came along for 3 hours last Halloween! I’m sure you can expect him to come a lot more in the near future!
Learning Grid Leamington
I have never used it before as I don’t live in Leamington Spa, but it is a very useful learning grid as it allows you to have a taste of the heart of campus! You can book computer spaces, group spaces or use the open access computers to do some work! It’s open 10 am to 10 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 5 pm on weekends.
I hope you enjoy your time here at Warwick and if you see our guardian angel wearing his yellow vest with the inscription “Rolf Campus Cat”, don’t forget to say hi!
Check out other posts about our study spaces:
Learning Grid (University House)
BioMed Grid (the Medical School building)
The Wolfson Research Exchange (Main Library)
The Postgraduate Hub (Senate House)
Which study space is your favourite and why? Do you have any personal experiences you would like to share? Tweet us at @warwicklibrary, email us at libraryblogs@warwick.ac.uk, or leave a comment below.
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