Arcadia Ireland

As the semester has started to wind down, I’ve found myself in search of the perfect study spot in Dublin where I can finish my last essay of the year. Here are the recent results of my research, ranked. 

1. Costa Coffee: While great for a snack before class, Costa Coffee––and especially their basement––can get very loud. There’s nothing quite like frantically wrapping up hour three of footnoting an essay while people are planning a weekend getaway to your left. That being said, it is very convenient and I appreciate the easy access to coffee. Rating: 6.3/10 for studying; 8/10 for a snack. 
2. KC Peaches: This is a great afternoon option. It’s not super expensive to grab a meal here (I’d recommend a sandwich), and there’s lots of comfortable seating upstairs. It’s a great place to linger for an hour or two. Rating: 7/10, mostly because I don’t love their color palette. 
3. Trinity College Dublin’s Library: I might be biased because I’m studying here this semester, and also because I really like libraries, but I’m always very productive while working here. There are lots of great books available if you’re working on an essay (or, as I might guess as a Humanities student, a difficult math problem), and there are large windows with a lot of natural lighting. Rating: 8.7/10, because it’s not available to non-TCD students. 
4. St. Patrick’s Park: Located next to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, this has been the perfect study spot for warmer weather. I wrote close to 500 words here today, and was treated to a very pretty view of the central fountain and a strange sense of community from everyone around me––the same feeling you get on the first warm day of the year when everyone emerges from their dorms to lounge around your college campus. Rating: 9/10 for studying; one point docked because it was so relaxing I found it hard to focus. 

These results are, of course, subjective and (very!) biased. Students studying at different universities and living in different locations will undoubtedly have different lists than me, but I hope this gives incoming students a good sense of some comfortable study spots available to them.