If it was not for my love of economics and desire to pursue a minor completely unrelated to anything I will ever do as a career, I would have never stepped foot in the Kern Graduate Building. Home of the economics department, the Kern Graduate building is located in the northwestern corner of campus, above the West Residence Halls and to the left of the Chambers Building (home of the English Department) and Moore Building (home of the psychology department).
Inside the Kern Building there is an open area with chairs and tables and then to the right, a Panera is tucked to the side offering even more seating within. Looking through the glass walls on the other side, there is a patio-type area with a handful metal chairs and tables for days when it is nicer outside, too.
The open-air congregation of chairs and tables in the center of the
entrance/first floor area houses relatively few outlets, however there are several comfy chairs strewn about alongside more traditional chairs and smaller tables in the area. There are no walls in this area and the chairs are relatively close so there is little feeling of privacy, however it makes for a good place to just sit and do work for a half hour between classes nearby or so.
Walking into the Panera, they have crammed more tables and chairs that I thought would be possible in the small area, however none of the tables feel cramped and there are enough dividers and walls that it doesn’t feel completely open. There are several more outlets available in the Panera seating, however depending on the table you chose to sit at, it may or may not have direct and easy access.
Additionally, no matter how empty the entrance-way area may be, the Panera always seems to be relatively crowded with students sitting and beating between classes, working on their laptops, or even some adults and professors grabbing a bite to eat.
Overall, I have sat here and studied every once in a while, however it was mainly because of location convenience (I would take my econ exams in the auditorium on the first floor and I would go to office hours on the third floor). I would not necessarily recommend studying here, it has nothing extremely special or unique to offer besides the Panera at your fingertips (which I do admit is nice, don’t get me wrong). If you are in the area and need a quick pick-me-up along with your studying, I would recommend it, however this space is just not for me. I do not find the busy and moderate noise level very conducive to studying, unfortunately.