The Silent Room
Post by Jimmy Schiemann
Believe it or not, sometimes it is harder to find a good place to study at the library than a parking spot downtown. If you have visited NC State University in the past, you might have seen our impressive nine story high D.H. Hill library. 
In the past years, I think I have spent probably 30% of my time inside this magnificent forum of knowledge. My relationship with the library tends to be very similar every year, when the semester just begins my visits there are more of a social justification to see old friends. It is also a great meeting point, in a university this big, you will always find people you know in or around the library, but as the semester progresses this relationship tends to be more intense.
D H Hill Library
The library, though colossal in size and space, usually has a big problem as the semester progresses: in ordinary words, it gets full! By the time midterms or final exams arrive the library becomes, in my opinion, the building with the most activity 24/7 in the Raleigh-Durham area. An in-and-out flow of people constantly, all the computers in use, the libraries’ coffee shop with lines around the corner and of course, all possible study places taken. During these weeks of the semester, that I like to refer to as “rush hour weeks,” there is nothing more precious than the sight of a free table!
For my luck, and that of my grade point average, new space was made to address these issues: the Silent Reading Room, or as I like to call it, the Study Box.
Silent Reading Room
This space, next to the Creamery (NC State’s very own ice cream maker and seller) is a dedicated space with over 70 study spots surrounded by glass walls/windows. Who said studying had to be in a dark and remote area? With the Silent Reading Room you get to study while still enjoy a beautiful sunny afternoon. Of course here the temptation is great, as on one side you have the Creamery and to the other the Brickyard, but I’ve found that still much work can be done in there.
Space remains an issue specially during finals, this is why in the very near future, NC State will open a brand new, state of the art library on Centennial Campus (for those interested in studying engineering or textiles this is going to be a great library for you due to its convenient location).
Hunt Library
I am certain that as you begin to discover NC State University, you will discover spots where you can peacefully and most efficiently study, it is just a matter of personal preference at the end, but for me the silent room has been a great solution to keep myself concentrated and focus on my task. Another good thing is that if the sign says Silent, it IS really silent. If you happen to be curious about the different Learning Spaces at NC State University’s library, I encourage you to take a look at their website.
Study break?
