Comfy, Cozy and Content: the Perfect Reading Spot at High Point University

Reading is a relaxing hobby, and my environment often influences my experience. I often find myself excited to start or continue reading a book, especially when I need a break from studying. High Point University is a university located in High Point, NC. Students attending, like me, may be overwhelmed with the number of places to choose from, or simply may not know of all the possible spots to read. There's so many things to consider when I want to read, and I tend to get lazy and go to the same spot even when it doesn't fit all my needs. These questions start from your motivation to read and get more specific, going as far as lighting preferences. By asking yourself some questions, you can find the perfect reading spot for all your needs. 

Everyone needs a good book to read in their favorite reading spot. I will include some of my own recommendations, but for those who want more, here is a link to a New York Times article on The Best Books We Read This Week.

Personal Recommendations:

For Sci-Fi lovers: Dune by Frank Herbert

For Poetry Lovers: The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson

For Romance Lovers: Bridgerton: The Duke & I by Julia Quinn

Figure out why you’re reading. Is it to relax, spend time away from technology, to annotate for pleasure or school? This is the first step because it will help inform your next steps.  

• Relaxing: Prioritize places you find comfortable. These places may be your room in your bed, a comfy chair outside, or a couch.  
• Break from tech: There’s more options here but avoid places where you’re susceptible to using technology. Any place with easy access to a television or computer may not be ideal.  
• Annotating: You may want to consider an environment with access to a flat surface to write. Some examples are the Smith library, a table in the Slane Student Center, or bedroom desk. 

Pro Tips: Focus on assessing where are environments you feel the most comfortable. This is your reading time, so indulge in yourself. Bring a snack, light a candle, grab a blanket and get cozy.

First make the distinction: outside or inside? If you choose outside, most places will be affected by the weather. Consider that in your decision making because it could possibly ruin your reading time. Having a back-up plan is a must.

• Outside: A reclining chair by the Centennial pool, tables outside of bakery, or a table outside an academic or dormitory building like Wanek Sciences or York.  
• Inside: Consider the availability of spots to read. If the building is normally busy, you may want to find a place you know has your reading spot available.

Pro Tips: Remember, outside does not have to mean in the sun laying on a patch of grass. There’s plenty of outdoor spaces, both more public and private, on campus. 

Think about what time of day you normally do or plan to read. Do you read in the morning, noon, afternoon, evening, or late at night? For outside environments, weather again may play a factor, but also lighting as well.

• Morning: Some buildings or spaces may not be open this early. This could be an advantage or disadvantage, depending on your space. 
• Noon: Think about if your space is affected by lunchtime, because things might get busier around that time which can affect noise level and availability of places to sit. 
• Afternoon: Lunchtime may still be affecting your space but less so now. For outside environments, this will normally be when temperature peaks, so that can be another factor to ponder. 
• Evening: Academic buildings may be more vacant around this time, as well as places like the Smith library and food places that close early like Great Day Bakery. 
• Late Night: Similar to the morning time, some academic buildings are available for use at all hours. Be sure to check this and have a backup plan in case your intended building is closed.  

Pro Tips: If reading outside, afternoon may be the best time to get that natural lighting since the sun is at its peak.

Figure out if you can read with the sound of your environment’s background. Do you prefer loud sounds like music and people chatting, normal speaking levels, mostly quiet, or pin drop silence? This way you can make sure the noise level in your space is to your preference.

• Loud music/chatting: By a university pool, inside The Caf, and both floors of Slane are some places that tend to get noisy because of their bustling environment.  
• Normal speaking level: The Slane front patio, the lobby on the third floor of Wanek Sciences, and the hammock behind Slane tend to have people speaking at a moderate level. 
• Mostly quiet: The sculpture garden behind Slane, the Learning Commons in R.G. Wanek, and possibly your own bedroom may be some good options. 
• Pin drop silence: The best place for this would be the third floor of the Smith library. The whole floor is devoted to creating a quiet environment.  

Pro Tips: Remember, headphones are always an option. You can either play your tunes or put on some white noise so you can fully enjoy your book. 

Some prefer to focus and may prefer a studier seating. As for me, I enjoy being very comfortable and a place where I can shift positions. Think about how comfortable you want to be when you read, and how seating may play into that.

• Comfy: Consider your bed, the hammocks behind Slane, and the couches on the Slane front patio. 
• Semi comfortable: The seating in Great Day Bakery, booths in Slane, and the third-floor lobby of Wilson have plush but not too comfy seating options. 
• Hard chair: The rocking chairs outside of the Smith library, the seats on the Wanek Sciences patio, and seats outside of The Caf are some examples. 

Pro Tips: Explore your environment. There may be different chairs in different sections of the floor. For instance, the Smith library has chairs that fit each category, ranging from hard rocking chairs to plush couches.

Lighting can be very important, and can also be dependent on the time of day. I don't like overhead lights when it gets later in the day and would opt for a lamp or booklight. If you read outside, this is especially important for you as the time of day will also affect this step.

• Natural light: Couches by the reflecting pool, the promenade, and Wanek Sciences lobby tend to have some nice natural lighting. 
• Overhead light: Most indoor buildings have these. Some places could include a private study room, your dormitory, or a classroom of your choice. 
• Lamp light: Second floor of the Smith library and possibly your own bedroom may be the best for lamps. 
• LED, string lights: Outside of Butterfly at night, a friend’s place, or maybe your own room. 
• Booklight/flashlight: A much more portable option that would be preferred when reading at night or in an environment with poor lighting. 

Pro Tips: Personally, I would invest in a booklight and keep it in your bag in case you find that your environment has lighting that changes with the day.

Why I enjoy...

The third floor of the Smith Library:

• Annotate 
• Inside 
• Morning/Afternoon/Evening 
• Pin drop silence 
• Semi-comfortable 
• Natural light/Overhead light 

The Centennial Pool: 

• Break from tech/Relax 
• Outside 
• Afternoon/Evening 
• Loud music/chatting 
• Semi-comfortable/Comfortable 
• Natural light 

My bed: 

• Relax 
• Inside 
• Afternoon/Evening/Late Night 
• Mostly Quiet 
• Comfortable 
• Natural Light/Lamp/String lights 

Hopefully these give you some insight into different places on campus to read or allow you to reconsider places you already knew. Let me know if there are any spots that didn’t make it onto this list, or any other factors you consider important when finding your reading spot. 

Finding spots that fit your every need won’t always be possible, but these questions should help in finding a nearly perfect, if not perfect, spot to make your reading experience the most pleasant possible.