A ranking of the SUNY Geneseo academic buildings
Many students here at Geneseo find themselves gravitating toward certain buildings on campus as designated study spaces. It might be due to comfort, ability to study, or just it being an enjoyable location. For myself, I have found that one of the buildings I am continuously drawn to is Welles Hall. This may seem typical for any English major, as it is one of the main places that humanities classes are held. The hall originally served as an elementary school, and was constructed in 1932. It is infamously hot in the summer and extra hot in the winter, though I find this to be a trait easily looked over when its many pros are considered.
I often go up to the second floor in order to spread out in a quiet, idle, and studious location. It’s also a plus that many of the English professor’s offices are on the second floor, making them easily accessible to answer any questions I might have. This makes getting work done easy and less stressful, since it is reassuring to know there is likely to be a resource when questions are needing answers.
Another hall that has made it onto my favorites list has got to be Bailey. You can often find yourself surrounded by a swarm of people on most days and nights, however, it is still often a good place to study with many different seating types to choose from. I’ve found that this building is ideal for late-night study sessions. Though the inconvenience of constant crowding is a major downfall of the building, there is a certain amusement that comes with watching the swarm of students weaving in and out of classes, which can also sometimes be a needed distraction from tedious school work.
Third on the list would probably have to be the popular central hub of the campus: MacVittie Union. The biggest downfall for this location is that it is often busy and you can find yourself getting kicked out each night when it closes. Despite this, there are great amenities like the quiet rooms and Starbucks on the main floor. It is home to various great spots to sit and study. A personal favorite would have to be the mailroom, due to it being a generally less trafficked area, making it a little quieter.
The fourth building on my list would probably be Newton. Purely because so many classes from freshman and sophomore year took place here, there is inevitably going to be a level of sentimental value I have acquired here. One of my favorite classes I ever took, Native American Literature with Caroline Woidat, was held in Newton and for that, it has made its way to a top-spot on my list. That, along with the unique structure of its circular architecture, makes this building stand among the heavy-hitters.
This list is a good start, though I would be remiss not to add that there are many buildings that I, personally, have hardly stepped foot in throughout my time on campus. These buildings as a collective then would unanimously take the last-place spot on the list for I tend to feel completely indifferent to them. This list includes South Hall, Fraser Hall, and the Integrated Science Center; these are solely due to never having any reason to be in there and not any specific gripes with the buildings themselves.
In college, it is vital to find the spaces on campus that are most conducive to your productivity. It also helps to establish a much-needed routine in day-to-day happenings, and having a class in a certain building can sometimes even brighten your day, if for seemingly trivial reasons. These, then, are my location recommendations to you, and I hope you have been able to find some sweet little corners of this campus for yourself as well!
Thumbnail Photo of Welles courtesy of Lamron Photo Editor FP Zatlukal