Whether seeking solitude or socializing, there’s a spot for you
J. Graham Pearsall
2 min read
Whether you’re a caffeine-fueled socializer or an ear-plugged silence seeker, there’s a perfect study space at Harvard for you.
James Gusmer ’21 finds motivation in the sunny hallways of the Science Center and Widener Library’s Loker Reading Room. Hamad Al-Hajri, a master’s candidate in Middle Eastern studies, prefers Café Gato Rojo in the basement of Dudley House.
As students buckled down for finals, we took a look at some of their favorite study spaces — each with its own unique draw.
James Gusmer ’21 soaks up some sun while he studies in a second-floor hallway of the Science Center. Students settle into Harvard’s newest study space at the Kennedy School. Catching up on the news in Cabot Science Library. A killer whale skeleton frames a student in the Northwest Building. Students find a place to collaborate in Ticknor Lounge inside Boylston Hall. Mary-Jo Arn, an academic editor, surrounds herself with books in a departmental library nestled on the third floor of Widener Library. Six levels of study nooks circle the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum. Lamont Café calls to those looking for a comfy place to kick up their feet and type an essay. Hamad Al-Hajri, a master’s degree candidate in Middle Eastern studies, works on a paper in the student-run Café Gato Rojo. Students can buy coffee and pastries for as little as a $1.50 in the café in the basement of Dudley House. Safwan Al-Amin and Yasmin Abdel Karim, both fellows at the Kennedy School, brave the cold to collaborate in John Fitzgerald Kennedy Park. Students cram for finals in the expansive Calderwood Courtyard within the Harvard Art Museums building.
Business leader Joseph Y. Bae ’94 and novelist Janice Y. K. Lee ’94 expand upon three decades of supporting academic excellence, opportunity at Harvard
Featured series 
