Paperwork and binders are sprawled out around a single laptop on the dining room table. The loud noise erupting from the TV fights the clash of pots and pans in the kitchen just a few feet away. 

Whether a student is taking psychology, English 12, or world history, finding the perfect place to sit down and get work done can be difficult. In order to leave behind the distractions in their home, Students look for innovative places to study.

Cafes and coffee shops

Some students wish to study somewhere near the school without actually being at school. Many turn to the Starbucks in the Greenbrier shopping center as a convenient place to sit down and get some pre-calc done.

“If I’m not at the regional library, I’ll usually be studying at Starbucks,” senior Jessica Yang said. “I really like studying at Starbucks because the noise level helps me focus; it’s a good amount of background noise without being too distracting or dead silent.”

Starbucks food and drink menu offers a wide selection of both hot and cold items and seasonal flavors. Starbucks is open from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with free wifi as well as easily accessible outlets. However Starbucks may not be for everyone, as food rushes can make the coffee shop busy.

“Just like many others I thought Starbucks would be a good place to study,” senior Sarah Jung said. “I found that the setting wasn’t my style and it was more suited towards adults.”

Many students may want to support locally run businesses. Château De Chantilly offers free wifi and a menu that includes multiple caffeinated drinks, pastries, sandwiches and desserts, baked and prepared at the cafe. 

“I prefer to split my study time between my house and two particular cafes, Cafein and Château de Chantilly,” Jung said. “There are a lot of different seating at Chȃteau so you’re never confined to one location. The only downside to Château is that it can get pretty crowded on certain days and seats will fill up pretty quickly. Cafein on the other hand is a quieter location but there is minimal seating to choose from.”

Cafein has locations in both Centreville and Chantilly. Château and Cafein are located in the Sully Plaza shopping center. Cafein is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, while Château opens from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Chantilly Regional Library

For those who don’t want to spend money to get work done, the Chantilly Regional Library is a great choice. 

“I used to be a big fan of studying at home because I felt like studying somewhere else was too much of a hassle,” Yang said. “Lately I’ve found that setting aside a specific time [and] place for me to study actually helps me focus more on my work.” 

The Regional Library offers a quiet study room, a conference room that can seat 15 and a meeting room that 80 people can use. Unlike the quiet study room, both the conference and meeting room require reservations that can be made on the library’s website. They are open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. 

Chantilly Black Box

Although relaxing cafes are helpful spots for students with cars or those who live close by, students may look for an in-school option for studying that is far easier to access. 

“I had noticed this school year that a lot of students coming into my class were having added stress and pressure,” theater teacher Shannon Spicer said. “So [the theater teachers] had said what if we make the black box like a study hall for those students who just need a quiet place to come in, and we keep the theater as a place where students who want to relax, chat with their friends and have some free time.”