Every study spot at UW Madison
I walked 46.48 miles through every building on campus East of the white bridge and west of Lake st. to find every possible study spot. I did not walk through College Library, Union South, Steenbock or Memorial Union because these are very common spots and I'm sure you already know what they look like. I also did not walk through any building that seemed like students were not allowed in. I also did not walk through Sewell because I forgot. I could go back but I have no more motivation.
Why did you do this
I was sick and tired of seeing reddit posts asking where the best study spots were and people responding with "I know a really good spot but its a secret so I wont tell you" So I decided to walk ~50 miles to call these people out.
How did you rank these
I wrote a program that prompted me with a choice between 2 study spots and after ~1600 comparisions, the algorithm provided me with this exactly ranked list
What is the worst building on campus
Easily the medical science building. It is horrible and there is nowhere to study.
Please be respectful
Some of these spots students might not be allowed in. If you choose to study in these spots please be respectful. If they ask you to leave please do.
Removal Request
If a spot is on this list where a normal undergraduate student is not allowed, please email me at removal@buckygrades.com and I will take it down. Please include the title of the spot.
memorial union terace
cmon now do i need to explain
Mem u hamel library
Super nice
Greenhouse benches
Air is so clean and bright
Merit library
Surprisingly nice chill library. Bean bag chairs are a plus
258 soils study area
Cute area. Plants and bookshelves
6floor cs
Nice study lounge with a nice view. Smells good too
Student print
Nice af
memorial union inside
pretty nice
Soils building 3rd floor lobby
Nice on a rainy day
Microbio badger market
Nice and open
Ecb lobby
Pretty nice, spacious
Top floor of education sciences
Pretty dead and insane 270 degree view of Madison
Law school reading room
More cozy than the law school library
Picnic tables in geological sciences
Probably nice on a nice day
Bock labs penthouse
Pretty nice, quiet area
Sohe patio
Probably nice on a nice day
14 floor aoss
Nice space but no windows. They have puzzles tho
Cs patio
Cute space. has 2 floors with mem u chairs
301 biochem
Nice study room area. Has separate breakout rooms
Geological library
Kinda of a crappy library. There is a standing desk though
Biochem 4th floor kitchen
Nice lively space with a good view
Energy building conference rooms
Very nice but a conference room so you might get kicked out
Ehall lobby
Tables are nice but other than that busy and mid
Chazen lobby
Pretty nice. There’s a cafe
Top 11 floor data sciences
Nice view. Ghost town
Limnology library
Really nice and empty
Science hall corner
Cute spot
Law school 7th floor library
Only usable after 2 pm
New Chem building window seats and lobby 7th floor and down
8th is best but the rest are nice
Kohler art library
Nice place
Business school library
Might be the nicest library on campus
Chem commons 2nd floor new building
Pleasant but busy
Sohe badger market
Insanely busy
Window nook with desk 3rd floor biotech
A little busy
4th floor biotech longue
Quiet with lots of seating and plants. Good view also
Ehall sniper nest
Roomy, nice view. Only 4 and usually taken though
5th floor education science colab space Standing desk workspace 5th floor education sciences
Nice startupy place with standing desks and study pods. Very modern and not many people
Journalism reading room
They got the new macs and it’s pretty chill
Map library science hall
Quaint
University club
Quaint
Energy institute atrium
Better version of Ecb and microbio because it’s empty
1410 engineering drive study room
Roomy, pretty empty
Law building basement
Nice space with ping pong table
6th floor physics lounge
Pretty nice
Cs front lobby
Kinda nice. Nice lighting
ME back lobby
Standard study spot. Nice lights
Bascom Basement
Study area for first gen college students. If this is you it’s a nice spot
4th floor sterling
Quiet spot with ok view
ME atrium
It’s ok but usually crowded and somehow dark
Atmospheric sciences student study area floor 8
Perfectly mid space. Whiteboard and door closes
Education building pods
Totally dead and pretty nice place
Study zone in material sciences
Has a fridge. That’s about it
Ecb table and whiteboard
Quiet, nice whiteboards, little dark and by offices
cs study area 2nd floor
Not much to do. Bad view. door closes though
Ehall phone booths
Cramped, awkward old
2nd floor Birge chair and desk
Photo says it all
4th floor agronomy circle table
Sucks
Desk and picnic table in geological sciences 3rd floor
Nothing notable
Biotech patio
Could be nice if they put out furniture
Henry Taylor hall penn room
Just glad it isn’t the penn 15 room
Bench with printer sohe 4th floor
Photo says it all
Education science lobby cells
Some of them are sunny. Surprisingly busy
ME corner
Bad photo but it’s a table in a corner. The spot it just ok
3-5th floor balconies in the business school
For some reason they are all full
4th floor biotech
Ping pong table
Steenbock library
its ok
Second floor Ingraham
Nice table by the window
Science hall computer lab
Hidden computer lab
1410 engineering drive computer lab
nice computer lab with printing
7th floor sterling
Nice spot with decent view
Law school pods
Photo
Chair and desk in king greenhouse (corn section)
If you like corn I guess it could be nice
Ag engineering basement
Kind of cursed. There was a dude doing a puzzle and another one sleeping. Do with this information as you wish
Law school back room (one available table not pictured)
No clue why you would use it
Biochem lobby
Nice windows but no idea why you would study here instead of the lobby above
Biochem basement small study area
Bright but small
Walkway to the school of social work
Retro vibes. Has a vending machine
Table in basement of birge
Kind of shitty but totally a Harry Potter vibe
Law school library underneath main area
Less busy
1st floor ecology
Nice area
Science hall room 280
Nice room with lots of space
3rd floor physics lounge
Standard study area
New chem building sub basement lounge
Probably busy and much better places in this building
Cursed desk in mat. sciences
Near a skylight which is kinda neat
4th floor vilas
Near the speech rooms
Mem u table and chairs in 2nd floor b school hallway
Nice
1st floor animal sciences
Liminal
4th floor Birge desk
Shitty but quiet
Law school entrance
Photo says it all
Weird pod things education building
I wouldn’t normally count these but so many people were using them
6th floor vilas desk
Just a desk
Stats study area med sciences
Good for this building but still sucks
Lobby of animal sciences
At least it’s empty
E hall benches
Busy hallway, no desk space
Science hall basement
Kind of crappy
Random couch in energy building
Good for a nap if you don’t mind napping in a random hallway surrounded by offices
Education research lobby
Boring dingy lobby for such a great building to study in
Basement of russel labs
So beat
Van vleck b3 bench desk area
Best of the basements still bad though
Van hise desk at main floor
Probably so bad and busy
Second floor Babcock
Because this is a tourist place you will get lots of looks
5th floor Noland random desk
nothing notable
Basement of agronomy
Pic says it all
Agronomy fishbowl
Very cute. No one is here
Mike hall law school
Surprisingly nice spot with a ton of vending machines that sell wraps and stuff
Birge green house *not technically a study spot*
There isn’t a table and chair in here so it technically doesn’t count but it’s a goated spot especially in the winter
Social work library
Nice library. Very inclusive lgbt+ plenty of computers. Printing
Aoss library
Nice space. Usually empty.
Energy building patio
Probably insanely lit on a nice day
Genetics 6 floor
Pretty nice area. Kitchen with view
Law library
It’s nice but everyone knows about it
5th floor biotech walkway
Great views, lots of sun
First floor discovery building
It’s nice but always very busy and the seating is pretty uncomfortable. There is a cafe which is nice and the restaurant serves $6 burger and fries from 5-6 which is nice
Van vleck 9th floor
Undergrads are not allowed up here but office hours are sometimes hosted here. Do with this info as you will
historical library
nice place but can be busy
student lounge life science communication
Quaint
Education building lobby
Really nice chill spot with badger market
Union south
pretty nice, decent food options but usually really busy
Chican@ and latin@ library 3rd floor Ingraham
Cute space but kind of small
Science hall commons
Nice low key spot
wendt
not sure if really counts but the makerspace is nice
Biotech 4th floor window nook
Cute
Biotech center lobby
8 because it’s busy but nice vibe
Second floor cs reservable study rooms
Pretty nice.
4th floor van hise infolabs
Very busy but have modern macs
4th floor ecology
Large space very quiet, desk facing south window
ME front lobby
Slightly worse than other slide lobby
Animal sciences library
One of the worst on campus
Sohe 3rd floor wing lobby
Lots of light pretty good view
Quiet study area 1st floor Taylor hall
Nice cubicals
Social work library basement
Less cute then the regular social work library
Van hise lounge
Pretty busy but nice and bright and modern
Amp library
Nice secluded area
Bascom g
Pretty nice
college library
classic study spot with great views of lake mendota
L1 law building
Lots of spaces but not quiet as nice as the main library
Other agronomy floors
Nice and windowy. Kind of old tho
red gym study spaces
nice spaces if it fits your vibe
memorial library cages
idk if its a meme but these things seriously suck
The sett
really mid
4th floor university club
Empty with the added bonus of games
Chem building lobby
It’s nice
Business school Pete’s coffee
Probably nice if you’re a freshman on a meal plan
Science hall 3rd floor
Near a cool skylight
Henry Taylor hall lobby
Quaint
3rd floor business school lounge area
Nice but busy
Birge lobby
There are some nice spots
5th floor biotech
Mid
Genetics lobby
Pretty nice
Sage reading room enzyme building
Cute vibe
Dinosaurs geo sci (not really a study area but neat spot)
Ross geller vibes
7th floor medical sciences back room
Honestly this place is Giga cursed but it’s completely empty and has some nice windows
memorial library
pretty bad but also still a library
Humanities basement
Only place to study in humanities
Kings hall greenhouse
Very quiet
One floor above merit
Similar corner window vibe as merit but likely empty. No tables tho
3rd floor sterling
Nice windowy area
Ag engineering 2nd floor lobby
Beautiful windows but near a bunch of busy offices
Cs basement
Kinda crappy but nice vending machines and it’s quiet
Badger market in basement of Biochem
It’s a badger market but kind of dark but maybe that’s a vibe
biochem stairway lobbies - top one is the best. Has a ping pong table
Lame
2nd floor of Nolan’s hall desk near this aquarium
There was a person sitting at it so I couldn’t get a good photo but it’s ok
Psych 1st floor lobby
Maybe in a pinch before an exam
Cursed chairs on the second floor of erb
Might be a vibe, near vending machines and the skywalk
4th floor med sciences
Just a desk
Education building 1st floor study pod
Good for privacy I guess
Birge b2 desks
Photo says it all
7th floor med sci
Cursed but chill
Stock pavilion study area
Funny place to study
Floor 3 ecology
Smaller and more busy than floor 4
4th floor physics area
Not as good as the library and usually busy
New chem building basement chairs
Just ok
4th floor psych
Lind of crappy and right next to elevators
Psych 1st floor lounge
Probably super busy
Birge herbarium
Not many places to study in here but very quiet
Career exploration center
Slightly better than the packed hallway
Poly sci lounge north hall
Nice if you are a poly sci grad student
5th floor vilas
Pretty nice
Physicist lobby
Popular spot to study before class
Chen building lobby
Other than being busy it’s nice and bright
5th floor biotech lobby
It’s ok
Birge b1 basement tables
Shitty but quiet
Sohe 3rd floor couch area
Pretty nice area but very busy
Ecology 2nd floor
Nice couch
Badger market in med sciences
)Lots of seating (and food
Van vleck 1st floor lobby
Best allowed spot in van vleck (which hurts me to type this)
Can hise lobby
Uncomfortable chairs and probably very busy
Business school lobby desks
Good in a pinch
Sohe 1st floor lobby
Uncomfortable looking seats and very busy
Biochem lobby pod
It’s ok probably busy
Second floor vilas
Near pbs
Weird desk in enzyme building stairs
Kinda of a vibe. Near a lot of books and smells like an old library. Byoc (chair) though
Basement of elvehjem building
Study in the kohler art library instead
3rd floor law secret spot
I think it’s where you wait for office hours but it’s a hidden spot
Van vleck b2 single desk (not pictured)
Very slightly better than b2. Still very beat. Near the elevators
Sterling 1st floor lobby
Very busy but can be good in a pinch
Cs back lobby
It’s ok . Can be smelly and busy at times
Van vleck b1 (entirely)
Literally might be the worst spot on campus to study
First floor of russel labs
Sucks but nicer than the basement (more busy though)
Ned sciences 2nd floor
No desk
Ingraham G floor
So busy and not that nice
Medical sciences hallway
Very busy and dark
Biochem 1st floor lobby
Horrible compared to the much better places in the same area. Super busy too
Psych basement
Beat
Enzyme lounge
Microwave and fridge pretty sure this isn’t a study spot though
Nightmare scary office with no door handles 7th floor med sconces
It’s an office in a scary ass hallway with no door handle
Ingraham 1st floor
Really beat and super full
Ecb back room
Pretty sure this is just a waiting area
Vilas basement
Near vending machines
Birge b3 table
Just a table
Miscellaneous chairs in business school
Photo says it all
Cursed bench with cursed table 5th floor Biochem
You would have to sit sideways
Basement of 445 Henry mall (there are no lights)
Dusty, trash can on desk, no lights
Nightmare kitchen 7th floor med sciences