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Photo Credit: Ellie Herz
Navigating the Top Study Sanctuaries in Austin
Navigating the Top Study Sanctuaries in Austin
Ellie Herz
Ellie Herz
January 12, 2024
January 12, 2024
As the second semester of the year hastily approaches, many students look to improve their work ethic, study habits, and more often than not, grades. In light of this and the transition into the new year, I decided to visit and review some of Austin’s most acknowledged and acclaimed study spots. After much thorough research, I have narrowed my findings down to five of the best locations where you can get down to business and study your heart out.
Black Rock Coffee Bar: As the 4:00 bell rang at St. Andrew’s Upper School, I immediately went down the street to Black Rock Coffee Bar to get straight to studying. When entering the glass doors into Black Rock, I was immediately taken aback by the jarring and somewhat unsettling loud, early 2000s rock music that blasted throughout the shop. Though the music was overpowering, the mood of the coffee joint was calm and productive. I stepped up to the counter to order a hot vanilla latte and chocolate croissant, both tasty and energizing for my studying mood. I can’t say that Black Rock has my favorite coffee in Austin, yet if you’re looking for a study spot with average to excellent drinks, then Black Rock is perfect for you. As I sat down to begin studying for my AP Statistics quiz, I became a little bit distracted by the chitter chatter around me, but once I put my AirPods in and played Spotify’s “deep focus” playlist, I was immediately able to drown out the music and conversation. According to senior Halston Fedorowicz who visited Black Rock alongside me, “I could smell the sharp scent of coffee, and it seriously fueled my productivity. I don’t usually go places to study, but I ended up being quite productive at Black Rock.”
Austin Central Library: On a gloomy, rainy Sunday afternoon I went down to West Cesar Chavez to do some work at Austin Central Library. As I arrived at the library, I was a little disappointed when I was greeted by a parking fee in their underground parking garage. Though the fee was only $5.00 for two hours of parking, I suggest spending your study session somewhere else if you don’t want to spend the extra buck. I walked into the library and was immediately enthralled by the sleek, calm vibe of the space. I made my way up to the third floor and found a remote, cornered set of two chairs where my friend and I decided to sit. One thing I loved about the library was the lack of noise. In a crowded, buzzing coffee shop, it can often be difficult to focus on your work, but in a library with no music and distractions, you can really hone in and be productive. On this day, I worked thoroughly on an English essay and felt that the library was the perfect location for a prolific day of writing. Although the library does have a café within it, I instead brought a coffee from home and while it might not have fueled me as much as a freshly brewed drink, I was perfectly content with it.
Houndstooth Coffee: Located on North Lamar, Houndstooth Coffee is an excellent place for, in my opinion, the best coffee and tea in the city, and a great working environment. Before embarking on my study session, I stopped by Tacodeli located two stores down from Houndstooth for a fueling breakfast taco. Next, I strutted into the bustling entrance of Houndstooth Coffee and walked to the counter to order an iced chai. My chai was the perfect combination of sweet and spiced, tangy yet perfectly comforting. As I sat down at a large, wooden table to begin writing an AP Environmental Science lab report, I was a bit startled by the shockingly loud classical music that was ringing throughout the coffee bar. Some might think that a bit of classical music might fuel your studying mind, but it can be a bit overpowering when it is throbbing from the speaker beside your workspace. I hoped that putting in my earphones and listening to my own music would help, yet I couldn’t quite muffle the thunderous melodies. On this chilly Sunday afternoon, the ambiance of Houndstooth was monotone and low-key allowing me to focus only on the work set in front of me. In addition, sitting next to the open front door allowed a cool breeze to pass over me which was delightfully soothing.
Summer Moon Coffee: On a Tuesday afternoon, I made my way to Summer Moon Coffee for an after-school work session. With multiple locations around Austin, Summer Moon is a staple spot for some of the creamiest coffee and best workspace vibes. Though I was exhausted from a long day at school, walking into Summer Moon and ordering an iced vanilla latte immediately perked me right up. The coffee was a bit on the sweeter side, yet had the most velvety delicious taste to it. The coffee shop flowed with tables of study groups and students eager to be productive. I thankfully managed to snag the last available table in the shop as it was surprisingly busy for 5 pm in the middle of the week. Once I took my seat, I was promptly charged to start my work due to the slow, moody music that was playing at the perfect volume level inside the shop.
Black Rock Coffee Bar: As the 4:00 bell rang at St. Andrew’s Upper School, I immediately went down the street to Black Rock Coffee Bar to get straight to studying. When entering the glass doors into Black Rock, I was immediately taken aback by the jarring and somewhat unsettling loud, early 2000s rock music that blasted throughout the shop. Though the music was overpowering, the mood of the coffee joint was calm and productive. I stepped up to the counter to order a hot vanilla latte and chocolate croissant, both tasty and energizing for my studying mood. I can’t say that Black Rock has my favorite coffee in Austin, yet if you’re looking for a study spot with average to excellent drinks, then Black Rock is perfect for you. As I sat down to begin studying for my AP Statistics quiz, I became a little bit distracted by the chitter chatter around me, but once I put my AirPods in and played Spotify’s “deep focus” playlist, I was immediately able to drown out the music and conversation. According to senior Halston Fedorowicz who visited Black Rock alongside me, “I could smell the sharp scent of coffee, and it seriously fueled my productivity. I don’t usually go places to study, but I ended up being quite productive at Black Rock.”
Austin Central Library: On a gloomy, rainy Sunday afternoon I went down to West Cesar Chavez to do some work at Austin Central Library. As I arrived at the library, I was a little disappointed when I was greeted by a parking fee in their underground parking garage. Though the fee was only $5.00 for two hours of parking, I suggest spending your study session somewhere else if you don’t want to spend the extra buck. I walked into the library and was immediately enthralled by the sleek, calm vibe of the space. I made my way up to the third floor and found a remote, cornered set of two chairs where my friend and I decided to sit. One thing I loved about the library was the lack of noise. In a crowded, buzzing coffee shop, it can often be difficult to focus on your work, but in a library with no music and distractions, you can really hone in and be productive. On this day, I worked thoroughly on an English essay and felt that the library was the perfect location for a prolific day of writing. Although the library does have a café within it, I instead brought a coffee from home and while it might not have fueled me as much as a freshly brewed drink, I was perfectly content with it.
Houndstooth Coffee: Located on North Lamar, Houndstooth Coffee is an excellent place for, in my opinion, the best coffee and tea in the city, and a great working environment. Before embarking on my study session, I stopped by Tacodeli located two stores down from Houndstooth for a fueling breakfast taco. Next, I strutted into the bustling entrance of Houndstooth Coffee and walked to the counter to order an iced chai. My chai was the perfect combination of sweet and spiced, tangy yet perfectly comforting. As I sat down at a large, wooden table to begin writing an AP Environmental Science lab report, I was a bit startled by the shockingly loud classical music that was ringing throughout the coffee bar. Some might think that a bit of classical music might fuel your studying mind, but it can be a bit overpowering when it is throbbing from the speaker beside your workspace. I hoped that putting in my earphones and listening to my own music would help, yet I couldn’t quite muffle the thunderous melodies. On this chilly Sunday afternoon, the ambiance of Houndstooth was monotone and low-key allowing me to focus only on the work set in front of me. In addition, sitting next to the open front door allowed a cool breeze to pass over me which was delightfully soothing.
Summer Moon Coffee: On a Tuesday afternoon, I made my way to Summer Moon Coffee for an after-school work session. With multiple locations around Austin, Summer Moon is a staple spot for some of the creamiest coffee and best workspace vibes. Though I was exhausted from a long day at school, walking into Summer Moon and ordering an iced vanilla latte immediately perked me right up. The coffee was a bit on the sweeter side, yet had the most velvety delicious taste to it. The coffee shop flowed with tables of study groups and students eager to be productive. I thankfully managed to snag the last available table in the shop as it was surprisingly busy for 5 pm in the middle of the week. Once I took my seat, I was promptly charged to start my work due to the slow, moody music that was playing at the perfect volume level inside the shop.
Demystifying the College Application Process
Demystifying the College Application Process
Anna Belle Moncrieff
Anna Belle Moncrieff
January 12, 2024
January 12, 2024
If you’re a freshman or sophomore, or even a junior stressing out about your future college applications, my genuine advice to you is, don’t. It will be okay. And if you’re not stressed at all because you don’t really know what’s going on, that’s okay too. The college application process was a complete mystery to me until I underwent it myself. And that’s not a bad thing. You can take steps to make things easier on yourself later, but stressing about it won’t help.
If you’re worried because you don’t know anything about what colleges you want to apply to, let alone go to, do not worry. You don’t need to know right now. If you’re like I was and have no idea what’s coming, hopefully this article will help shine a light on what your senior friends and teammates have been going through and reassure you that you’ll be able to do it too.
Maybe you know the environment you want for your college, but don’t have a specific school in mind. That was the case for senior Addi Sell. Sell has applied to 12 schools, and doesn’t yet know where she’s going. She narrowed down the schools she applied to because she knew she wanted a big school with a football team and lots of school spirit. Sell knew the vibe of her dream school, but not which school it was specifically, and she was totally okay with that. You don’t have to know exactly what you want at the beginning or even middle of the application process.
You can use things you like or dislike about St. Andrew’s to inform your opinions. Pruett Fedorowicz is a senior who had that experience. As a lifer at St. Andrew’s, Fedorowicz knew the smaller school size was perfect for him. This was confirmed after he went on a tour at a huge school, the University of Georgia, which has over 30,000 students. He remembers walking across campus and instantly knowing it was bigger than he wanted.
One option if you know exactly what school you want to go to is to apply Early Decision, which means that if you’re accepted you are required to attend. Not everyone will ED to a school, but it’s a great way to increase your chances of getting in if you have a dream school. Madeline Marks is a senior who already knows what college she’s going to because she applied Early Decision to Wake Forest University, a medium-sized private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Marks wasn’t expecting this outcome: “If you told me that I was gonna ED somewhere last year I would have never believed you.” But she knew Wake Forest was right for her after attending a summer program there, where she loved the environment and the teachers.
Cost of attendance is also a factor when considering colleges. As an aspiring business major, senior Samuel Crowson used ROI, or return on investment, as a major factor when picking which schools to apply to. He thinks it’s important to know that “there are great schools in Texas for a fraction of the cost.” You don’t need to go to a “name-brand” school to get a stellar education.
Each of these seniors offered great advice for high school students at every step of the process, from freshman to senior year. Here are just some of the words of wisdom they offered:
Sell’s biggest advice is to “focus on high school.” Worrying about college is far less important than worrying about your current classes and academics. Sell also advises underclassmen to “pick something you’re passionate about and dial in.”
Crowson recommends you check out The College Essay Guy on YouTube for college essay writing tips and tricks. There are so many online resources out there for you to utilize. He also warns you to not fall victim to colleges’ marketing, and to pick the school that will set you up best for the future you want.
Marks’ top piece of advice is to “start as early as you can.” Senior year is tough, and she was so grateful that she got most of her applications done over the summer so she could focus on schoolwork.
Fedorowicz advises you to take advantage of every opportunity to go on a visit that you can. He says going on college visits whenever his family was traveling and there was a school nearby really helped him narrow down his search and understand better what he wanted.
And as for me, the best advice I would give underclassmen is this: do things. Join clubs, play sports, volunteer outside of school, be passionate about something. This is what will truly help your future senior self. When you’re applying to college, you have to have things to point to or write about to say “I did that.” They care about what you do with your time. Do things you care about!
Most importantly, don’t stress yourself out too much. There are so many people and resources to help you through this process, and everyone gets through it eventually. Enjoy your time in high school before it’s gone.
If you’re worried because you don’t know anything about what colleges you want to apply to, let alone go to, do not worry. You don’t need to know right now. If you’re like I was and have no idea what’s coming, hopefully this article will help shine a light on what your senior friends and teammates have been going through and reassure you that you’ll be able to do it too.
Maybe you know the environment you want for your college, but don’t have a specific school in mind. That was the case for senior Addi Sell. Sell has applied to 12 schools, and doesn’t yet know where she’s going. She narrowed down the schools she applied to because she knew she wanted a big school with a football team and lots of school spirit. Sell knew the vibe of her dream school, but not which school it was specifically, and she was totally okay with that. You don’t have to know exactly what you want at the beginning or even middle of the application process.
You can use things you like or dislike about St. Andrew’s to inform your opinions. Pruett Fedorowicz is a senior who had that experience. As a lifer at St. Andrew’s, Fedorowicz knew the smaller school size was perfect for him. This was confirmed after he went on a tour at a huge school, the University of Georgia, which has over 30,000 students. He remembers walking across campus and instantly knowing it was bigger than he wanted.
One option if you know exactly what school you want to go to is to apply Early Decision, which means that if you’re accepted you are required to attend. Not everyone will ED to a school, but it’s a great way to increase your chances of getting in if you have a dream school. Madeline Marks is a senior who already knows what college she’s going to because she applied Early Decision to Wake Forest University, a medium-sized private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Marks wasn’t expecting this outcome: “If you told me that I was gonna ED somewhere last year I would have never believed you.” But she knew Wake Forest was right for her after attending a summer program there, where she loved the environment and the teachers.
Cost of attendance is also a factor when considering colleges. As an aspiring business major, senior Samuel Crowson used ROI, or return on investment, as a major factor when picking which schools to apply to. He thinks it’s important to know that “there are great schools in Texas for a fraction of the cost.” You don’t need to go to a “name-brand” school to get a stellar education.
Each of these seniors offered great advice for high school students at every step of the process, from freshman to senior year. Here are just some of the words of wisdom they offered:
Sell’s biggest advice is to “focus on high school.” Worrying about college is far less important than worrying about your current classes and academics. Sell also advises underclassmen to “pick something you’re passionate about and dial in.”
Crowson recommends you check out The College Essay Guy on YouTube for college essay writing tips and tricks. There are so many online resources out there for you to utilize. He also warns you to not fall victim to colleges’ marketing, and to pick the school that will set you up best for the future you want.
Marks’ top piece of advice is to “start as early as you can.” Senior year is tough, and she was so grateful that she got most of her applications done over the summer so she could focus on schoolwork.
Fedorowicz advises you to take advantage of every opportunity to go on a visit that you can. He says going on college visits whenever his family was traveling and there was a school nearby really helped him narrow down his search and understand better what he wanted.
And as for me, the best advice I would give underclassmen is this: do things. Join clubs, play sports, volunteer outside of school, be passionate about something. This is what will truly help your future senior self. When you’re applying to college, you have to have things to point to or write about to say “I did that.” They care about what you do with your time. Do things you care about!
Most importantly, don’t stress yourself out too much. There are so many people and resources to help you through this process, and everyone gets through it eventually. Enjoy your time in high school before it’s gone.
Photo Credit: Anna Belle Moncrieff
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