thebattalion ● wednesday,
september 1, 2010
● serving
texas a&m since 1893
● first paper free – additional copies $1 ● © 2010 student media
Hit the books Top 10 study spots 8
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SCC Like it or not, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter online homework at some point during your time at A&M. Whether mastering physics or navigating French verb conjugations, take advantage of the computers, printers and scanners available in the Student Computing Center. Since students pay printing fees each semester, dropping by the SCC is always a good option for printing massive PowerPoints or last-minute papers.
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Blue Baker on University Drive provides a variety of sandwiches, soups and pizzas to keep your growling stomach at bay while you conquer a mountain of assigned reading. There’s also something about that overly blue ambience that lends itself to increased thoughtfulness.
3 West Campus Library
Evans Library
Frequent visitors to West Campus need a study haven, too, thus necessitating the West Campus Library. Equipped with its own Writing Center and study rooms, the library offers some of the same amenities as Evans, except with more windows. This way, studying inside doesn’t mean being locked in a prison-like cell.
There is something intrinsically academic about six-story building filled rows of books, regardless of the fact that you might never check out anything from the library. One has to admit there is something oddly comforting about being surrounded by a plethora of untouched resource materials. And the numerous tables, chairs and couches? Well, those are useful, too.
The Annex
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The Annex is perfect for those who prefer open, quiet spaces to work. Just be sure to make sure you’re on a designated quiet floor, otherwise you’ll find yourself shooting a lot of unnecessary dirty looks. On the other hand, those who find themselves easily distracted by the volumes of — again, untouched — books in Evans can easily retreat to the Annex. Or they could sneak away to Educational Media Services, perusing the University’s DVD collection rather than its chemistry books. It’s always better to have options.
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Whether students prefer to get their daily caffeine fix in the artsy atmosphere of Sweet Eugene’s or from the familiar corporate menu of Starbucks, coffee shops provide a social atmosphere for a rendezvous with a study buddy. Plus, the extra kick of espresso it takes to get through mind-numbing organic chemistry assignments is a few steps away.
The Commons Lobby isn’t ideal for heavy studying, but there are tables and couches available. Ping-pong and pool make for good diversions during breaks, and the food court offers a variety of study time meals.
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Zachry, home to Aggie engineers, has large tables for spreading out work and nearby professors’ offices to help when you have a panic attack over differential equations. There’s also microwaves on the third floor, so leaving the building becomes unnecessary.
Coffee shops
Commons Lobby
Blue Baker
Zachry
4 Rudder
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Conveniently near a number of off-campus bus stops, Rudder is an ideal hub for meeting with groups, or sprawling out on a couch between classes, especially if one needs background noise to focus.
The Grassy Knoll Dread harsh fluorescent lighting? Hit the books while lounging about the rolling lawn of the Grassy Knoll, simultaneously absorbing knowledge and sunshine. For some serious multitasking, take a break to toss about a Frisbee.
Compiled by Rebecca Bennett, photos by Jeffrey Frankens and Matt Young
Professor cave-dives, featured in National Geographic
Campus services offer help for students at Texas A&M Gayle Gabriel
Gayle Gabriel The Battalion Aggies have left their mark again, this time on the cover of National Geographic. Tom Illife, Texas A&M Galveston marine biology professor is featured for his discoveries and work in cave diving. “My cave research work has been funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and of course National Geographic,” Illife said. “I have had my research featured on TV documentaries by National Geographic, NOVA and Discovery Canada. A new video describing my cave research is being filmed by the History Channel and will be featured at the Ocean
Hall exhibit of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.” Cave diving is an activity that involves the exploration of caves that are nearly or completely submerged in water. Illife Cave divers or “cavers” take cave courses and are trained in Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Cavers can also continue training and take on more technical cave diving that involves advanced SCUBA and more specialized training. “I can tell you that it has changed my life for See Research on page 8
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The Battalion While figuring out a schedule, joining organizations and balancing a personal life, students might not realize some of the services on campus designed to make their lives easier. The University Writing Center, Student Legal Services and the Aggie Hotline are three helpful resources that can be found on campus. Sometimes a pen and paper isn’t enough. When students lack writing skills, there are people on campus who can help. On the second floor of Evans Library, the University Writing Center is available to help any student with all types of writing from essay, poetry, technical or personal writing. “Most students think they can only bring aca-
demic writing, such as essays and assignments to us for help, but we do not only provide services for that, we are more than willing to look at personal writing as well,” said Steve Kaminczak, assistant director of the University Writing Center. “In general, most people consider writing services and centers like this one as a remedial service and they think ‘Oh, I can write just fine,’ but what they do not know is that we are not here to teach them necessarily. We provide a reader’s perspective on their writing. We look at things like clarity, order, logical sequences and brainstorm ideas and give advice as to why they made that grade on a particular assignment or how to start on one.” Setting up an appointment for a counseling See Services on page 5
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