Get off your Bed and go to Panera Bread!

                                                      Photo by: Businessmodelinstitute.com

Out of all the chain cafes, Panera Bread, has to be one of the top. Panera is a big franchise that is expanding in various areas; the Panera that I go to the most is the one located on 23-58 Bell Blvd, Bayside. Back in high school, the Panera in Bay Terrace was my study spot. 

A reason why Panera is a good study place is that it offers a section of the cafe just for quiet studying. Because Panera is a popular place, many people go to Panera to hang out, eat and study so Panera is prone to be a bit loud and crowded. But the specific section for quiet study is actually really quiet. Once the sliding door is closed, almost all the sounds from outside is blocked off leaving the person studying a quiet environment. There were only a handful of time where I could not find a seat in the study section but usually there will be plenty of seats. 

Initially, I did not enjoy the food that Panera offer. Because of my laziness, leaving the cafe, buying food, and coming back seemed like such a hassle that I kept on eating their food. Eventually, I came to enjoy their food; one time, I received a Panera gift card that really put a smile on my face. They offer variety of paninis, sandwiches, soups, salads, and of course, bread (hence the name of the cafe). I always get the combo of half a sandwich and half a bowl of soup. If you're too cheap to buy a drink, ask for a water cup and use the water cup to drink whatever you want. The water cups are obviously smaller than the regular cups but its free and also sitting down too long can be unhealthy, its good to get up and walk to the fountain. Gotta get that blood pumping.

One thing that I really like about Panera is the music they play. My standard of what type of music a cafe should play came from Panera. Their music consists of jazz music. Many of their songs are pop songs covered by jazz instruments which gives a different feel to the song. The music is played softly as well so that the music would not be a distraction. Panera has everything a cafe needs: good food, good snack, good music, good study area, and of course, the water cup. 

Rating: 8/10

Back at Dac

                                                                        Photo by: Yong Min Cho

The newest building in St. John's University is the D'Angelo Center, aka DAC. This building was made especially for commuters to have a place to go to study. But the thing is, there isn't much studying going on. There was a joke saying how the person who purposed the building to be a center of studying created the best place to procrastinate.

One reason why people do not study in DAC is because the noise. Especially during common hour, 2 p.m - 3 p.m, the population of DAC is too much. It takes great concentration and will power to actually study in an environment of non-stop talking, laughing, and did I mention piano playing?

                                                                         Photo by: Yong Min Cho

Dac third floor study cafe

Dac third floor is mostly where the study happens. St. John's University just recently installed a study cafe. They have thick brown curtains at each entrance. Surprisingly, the curtains sometimes actually limit the sound coming through from the rest of DAC. It did give a peaceful environment to study but ironically, there are still a handful of people who go in the quiet area and talk because the rest of DAC is too loud for them to converse. 

A friend of mine actually revised the meaning of the acronym DAC from the D'Angelo Center to Da Asian Center. It is a common knowledge that Asians are the majority who inhibits DAC. Asians going to the third floor, whether to study or meet other Asians became part of the DAC culture. 

                                                                        Photo by: Yong Min Cho

Starbucks on DAC third floor 

Though having a Starbucks inside DAC may seem like a good thing but it actually adds on to the noise. Don't get me wrong, I love having a Starbucks as close as a 10-second walk but during the busy parts of the day, it can get too hectic.

DAC becomes a completely different place during midterm and finals week. Only during times when big exams are coming up, are the times where DAC actually fulfills its purpose. Many students gather DAC to study because the Library may be jam-packed. 

                                                                       Photo by: Yong Min Cho

DAC honestly isn't the best place to go to study. The library provides a much better study environment than the cafe. But having a place like DAC is a good thing. It gives students a place to go and meet their community of friends. Whenever I am done with a class, I would go to DAC knowing that I would have friends already there.

Rating: 7.5/10