Throughout the last year, COVID-19 has changed the way education has been taught, so studying has changed for many students as well.
School has been offered online to many students, meaning their daily class is now in living rooms, kitchens and bedrooms.
Studying in the same area for hours can work for some students, but breaks in tasks and locations can be beneficial to others. Visiting study spots around Spokane are a way to avoid a stall in studying.
Some free spots that don’t require any purchase are local parks. Mirabeau Park in the Spokane Valley area has a lake, waterfall, or gazebo spots to sit and focus. Riverfront Park, Manito Park, and many more have benches and tables to sit and enjoy the surroundings as studying takes place.
There is one major flaw with the serenity of a park location. No Wi-Fi. The ideal study area for any student is to have the space to stretch out and not feel cramped. Somewhere that is heated in the winter and air conditioned in the summer, and most importantly has Wi-Fi.
Some students may have a portable Wi-Fi connection, or hotspot access with their cell phones, but many others prefer to find a simpler approach.
Some students find a table inside is a better atmosphere to study. Coffee shops around Spokane have started to reopen their lobbies to partial or full capacity allowing students to sit for as long as they need while drinking a cup of coffee or eating a snack.
One of those shops is Ladder Coffee. Having four different locations to choose; found on Francis, Monroe, Sprague in the Spokane Valley, and one on Riverside Avenue.
Their menu offers specialty coffees, such as a french toast latte, as well as drip and espresso. They have a menu of a variety of toasts with different toppings and some locations have waffles. They do not; however, sell energy drinks. All drinks are brewed on the spot.
“You can come and sit, we just ask that you follow an honor code to anyone who is standing when you have been sitting here for a long time,” Jacob Branson, a barista at their Spokane Valley location said.
Ladder Coffee welcomes students to sit and enjoy the modern aesthetic of the lobby while studying.
“We do ask that you eventually purchase something after a while, but it is not a requirement to sit down,” Branson said.
Another study spot is Casual Fridays on Sullivan in the Valley area. Casual Fridays, Lilac Bakery, and Celebrations Bakery is owned by Amber Owens. This Casual Fridays location offers food from all of these companies.
This shop sells Casual Fridays Donuts, also found on Division, with an extensive cafe menu offering food from sandwiches and salads. They also sell Wake Up Call brand coffee and offer energy drinks.
They have a large lobby with comfortable seating and offer a bar to sit as well. They have a welcoming staff that are eager to share their Wi-Fi password.
A study spot closer to the South Hill is Revel 77 Coffee. Located on 57th Avenue, it has a large lobby offering large tables to sprawl out, as well as a place to charge a laptop or phone as needed. It gives a student the ideal space to focus on their studies. If they happen to get hungry they have many snacks to choose from, or you can get a coffee made with their homemade syrups and accompany it with a stroopwafel cookie.
As the world begins to open up again, one of the ways a student can feel connected is by sitting in a coffee shop working, and eventually watch the world get back to normal, a little at a time.