With HSC exams looming around the corner, thousands of students will spend hours this year studying.
One of the more popular locations for a library is the USYD library, with its location and scenery. The USYD Library system consists of 8 libraries across 5 campus locations, the earliest and largest one being the Fisher Library.
So should you study here for HSC? This is a complex question. We’ve listed several pros and cons for you below:
Pros:
- Plenty of options across the campus
- Lots of meeting rooms and silent zones
- No WIFI access for non-students (How is this a good thing? It can minimise distraction!)
Cons:
- No WIFI access for non-students (can’t use the internet which connects you to everything!)
- Limited space facilities for non-students
- HSC students are not welcomed 😛
- HSC students can only get in during the regular hours (not 24/7)
It’s a good choice if you live nearby and want a quiet area to read through some textbooks or do a past paper. It is not good for assignments or research since it will be hard to search up anything given the lack of WiFi. It’s limited hours make planning inconvenient however and high school students are not welcomed. It’s a bit hard to stay when you’re not the intended audience.
Overall, the USYD libraries are definitely a great place to study at with its access to resources and study rooms. However, if you don’t have a library membership, it can be quite restricting with no access to WIFI and computers. The libraries can also fill up during peak hours, so the ones with the bigger capacities: Fisher and SciTech are recommended. Our recommendation would be simply to go to a library near your house or study at home as there isn’t a big difference.
Where are the libararies? Look here:
| Libraries | Details | Locations |
| Fisher Library | Capacity: 1739  24/7 access for students and staff  Collection focuses on humanities, social science and commercial disciplines 2 computer labs, silent zones, 5 bookable meeting rooms | Eastern Avenue F03 Camperdown Campus |
| Bosch Commons | 24/7 access for students and staff Silent zones, group study zones, 3 bookable seminar rooms  | Level 3, Bosch Building (D05) Western Avenue Camperdown Campus |
| Camden Commons | 24/7 access for students and staff  Library supports research, teaching and study in veterinary science and agriculture  Silent zones, bookable meeting room | Camden Campus (C15) Camden, NSW |
| Conservatorium Library | Capacity: 100  Open 10am – 4pm on weekdays, closed on weekends  Specialist music library  Silent zones, bookable meeting room | Sydney Conservatorium of Music Level 2, Macquarie St (C41) |
| Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library | Capacity: 330  24/7 access for students and staff  Supports the Sydney Law School and legal studies  Silent zone, 10 bookable meeting rooms | Law School Building (F10) Eastern Avenue Camperdown Campus |
| The Quarter | Capacity: 115  24/7 access for students and staff  Dedicated postgraduate study space  Silent zones, 3 bookable meeting rooms | Ground Floor, Badham Building (A16) Camperdown Campus |
| SciTech Library | Capacity: 227  Open 10am – 4pm on weekdays, closed on weekends  Supports the Faculty of Science, Architecture, Engineering and Medicine Silent zones, 1 bookable meeting room | Level 1, Jane Foss Russel Building (G02) 160 City Road |
| ThinkSpace | Open 12pm – 4pm on weekdays, closed on weekends  Technology showcase and creative play space  Contains 3D printers, 3D scanners, iMacs with design software, graphic tablets  | Level 2, Jane Foss Russel Building (G02) 160 City Road |
