Free to Be

By Jordan Kinley

I do not have a particular academic subject I wish to share, but would rather offer some recommendations of places to study here in Norman.

My hands down favorite place to study is at Cafe Plaid on the edge of Campus Corner. If you bring your own mug coffee is only $1.45 and you can sit quietly during the lunch rush hour. The workers are quirky, local and down to earth. The sandwiches can't be beat and the Plaid Bar (pastry) is delectable. There is one drawback, the Internet is shut off between the hours of roughly 11:00 to 1:45, but that provides the perfect amount of time to study sans www.addictinggames.com.

If the privately owned cafe isn't your thing and you want to stay close to campus, head on down to Starbucks where you can mysteriously order in pseudo sizing: Short, Tall, Grande, or Venti anything. The location across from campus has plenty of outlets making it convenient to keep a laptop or cell phone charged. Other perks include free wireless Internet to iPhone users and overpriced bottles of water. Well, that's not a perk, but instead of buying a bottle of water ask one of the Barista's for a cup because all Starbucks have an intense water filtration system behind the counter.

If you enjoy a completely quiet area or if you want to be served Starbucks quality coffee without the full experience, try the Great Reading Room in Bizzell or the Bookmark Cafe. Both provide a decent spot to finish assignments and collect thoughts. If you've never visited the GRM, you might want to considering it's potentially the place your thesis will go to die.

One site away from campus worth visiting is the Starbucks in Brookhaven Village. This particular location has less of a college presence and receives more patrons from the surrounding neighborhoods. Unlike most Starbucks, this particular one often offers free samples of their cookies, cakes and muffins during afternoon hours. The Baristas know most of the customers because the manager has made the store much more personal than others I have visited. There are plenty of tables and chairs, even an extension outlet for computers used by individuals conducting business.

The coffee/pastry bar in the Barnes & Noble offers a pleasant place to learn. The benefit of traveling to this location is that when work becomes a bore, you can usually find something of interest in the remainder of the store. I used to frequent B&N a few semesters ago and more times than not I would unexpectedly leave with a book about something completely unrelated to my assignment at the time.

Two locations that I have never patronized but have heard decent things about are Hastings and Panera, both of which are off Main St. I have been told that often it is hard to find a table at both of these stores because they are so popular among college students. Regardless, they are popular for a reason and must be doing something right to fill up around finals time.

There you have it, a sprinkling of coffee houses and places to study throughout Norman.