Whether from the Des Moines area or experiencing life as a Midwesterner for the first time, Drake students are often on the lookout for the best study places around town, and coffee shops have become a popular destination. It’s likely that at any given time in cafes around town, students can be found with their laptops out and caffeine coursing through their veins. The popularity of coffee shop climates as study spaces has been rapidly growing in recent years for the college-age population, and Drake students are no exception to this stereotype.
Each popular destination around town from Mars Café to Caribou Coffee and even just the Olmsted coffee shop has their fans, and now that Bulldogs have at least one semester under their belts, they’re beginning to figure out where their studying is the most successful.
Sam Moon, a first-year who grew up just 20 minutes from the Drake campus, has had plenty of time to explore many of the Des Moines options and determine her favorite.
“My favorite is probably Smokey Row,” Moon said. “I like the atmosphere. I’ve grown up here and since high school, I’ve been going there to study and just hangout.”
Megan Kom, another first-year from Saint Paul, Minnesota, set out to explore the Des Moines area as soon as she got here.
Going to a different local shop each week and taking note of her favorite part of each experience, Kom realized that where she studied made a difference on how she retained the information.
“My favorite is DSM Brew,” Kom said. “It was actually a really cool atmosphere! It was a downtown Des Moines kind of thing, so we sat down and played cards and it was a really fun, modern, and light kind of place. They had really good flavors and a variety of options. I’d say other than it being a bit pricey, I liked it a lot.”
Smokey Row and DSM Brew are both less than a 10-minute drive from campus and are frequented by Drake students. Although they are two of the most popular coffee shops in the area, the list goes on of where Drake students can be found getting their work done.
For many students, a busy atmosphere is the best place for them to bring their assignments. Kom explained why she is so productive when she studies in coffee shops.
“They’re a different type of quiet from the library or from most of the buildings on campus,” Kom said. “Sometimes, depending on what homework I’m doing, I need a bit of background noise to help me focus, and the bright and sunny lighting is a really nice atmosphere.”
Many students feel similar ways, which can explain the popularity of even the library and Olmsted coffee shops. Students have expressed that sometimes it’s nice to get off campus, and overall makes studying and homework a less stressful experience.
Photo of coffee| Courtesy of Ashley Delarm