With finals approaching and less than a week left to finish all the studying being put off, many students are searching for the perfect spot to host their next cram session.

With a few days left to finish a research paper and only one left to finish this story, my quest to find the hottest brain spots led to the discovery of the best places to study on and off campus.

The first spot I hit was the area in between the Marley and Forbes buildings. This is by far my favorite place on campus, although I can’t explain why – maybe it’s because the ground reminds me of sushi.

I found it quite lonely after a bit, however, and the benches aren’t necessarily located in the shade. It didn’t seem as though many other students enjoyed the spot either, as there wasn’t a soul around.

Off to a shaky start, I asked a random person I saw what her favorite spot to study would be, and she suggested Barnes & Noble.

“”It’s so quiet,”” said Rachel Dickert, a pre-physiology sophomore. “”It’s practically like a library.””

It wasn’t the shelves of books I couldn’t refuse, nor the silence: It was the coffee. I hopped on my bike and headed to the nearest Barnes & Noble on East Broadway Boulevard.

Everything was fantastic, and it was quite like a library, except I wasn’t too sure if it was really worth the ride.

Once back on campus, I decided to head toward the grassy knoll that lines North Park Avenue and stumbled across a group of three girls holding their last Bible study of the year.

“”The weather is just so nice, and it’s good to have the breeze on your face and the warmth of the sun instead of being cooped up indoors,”” said Rachel Poe, a senior majoring in family studies and human development.

As I plopped myself down on a bench, I knew what it was the girls had been talking about. It was lovely outside and beneath the shade of the tree, and I was so relaxed that I nearly dozed off.

It was as if the knoll did more to numb my mind than stimulate it, so I decided to head to the Cactus Grill at the Student Union Memorial Center and grab myself a grilled cheese sandwich.

While waiting for my sandwich to be made, I stopped by the third and fourth floors, where I talked to students studying outside on the wraparound balcony.

It definitely seemed like an ideal place to study. There was a breeze, shade and silence.

“”I like the fresh air, and the pigeons keep me company too,”” said Knut Norstog, a senior majoring in molecular and cellular biology.

Another student mentioned a hammock in the courtyard of the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering building. He said he discovered the spot when he was meeting a friend there.

“”If the staff ever asked me, then, yeah, I’m an engineering student,”” said Adam Bobert, a psychology sophomore.

Two other places Bobert mentioned were the courtyard outside the Manuel T. Pacheco Integrated Learning Center and the area next to Steward Observatory.

“”There’s plenty of tress,”” he said. “”You can usually park your bike up against one and sit under there.””

Once I picked up my sandwich, I chose my munching spot at one of the tables nestled between the union and the Administration building. I couldn’t help but notice the many students who had chosen this spot to study as well.

I knew that this could never be the spot for me. All the conversation and aroma coming from the vast smorgasbord of food spread across these tables would be quite the distraction.

Phillip Lee, a biosystems engineering graduate student, joked that his favorite studying hot spot was “”definitely not here.”” He said that he liked the UA Main Library best.

“”I don’t have distractions at the library,”” he said. “”If I study in my house I have television from my roommates.””

Ah, yes, the television. That’s exactly the reason I would highly recommend keeping far away from the dorm room during finals week.

As a matter of fact, our TV was thrown out yesterday, just to combat the temptation of an afternoon zone-out.

I found many, however, who seemed to enjoy working in the closets that many of us call home. “”I like my room just because I have my desk and all my things in there,”” said Brielle Bastedo, a math freshman.

Others said they enjoyed the study rooms – unless, of course, they get stuck listening to a neverending phone call or pointless conversation.

“”I like it because it’s quiet and if there are other people in there, I can tune them out with my music or something,”” said Kelly Peckler, a studio art sophomore.

The most common answer I received from these snacking students at the union was, again, the library. I had always rejected the place, with its dull colors and stuffy atmosphere, but with so many students singing its praises, I just had to give it a shot.

After spending the rest of my afternoon at the library, I loved it. I nearly finished my paper with the help of some books I had forgotten to check out and a Red Bull I bought at the little food mart outside.

The library may be a hot spot that’s highly expected, but the quiet atmosphere was quite fulfilling.

It also wasn’t as dull as I expected. There were many cozy nooks and crannies in which I could wedge myself and settle down into a studying groove.

The library was definitely my favorite spot for the day, but I didn’t get a chance to visit all that I could have.

A study spot, clearly, has to cater to individual needs – as shown by the differences between a library and even a strip club, which music junior Adam Tomar suggested visiting.