Another academic year, a new welcome week. If you’re a new student, reading all that Lingo Magazine’s Freshers’ series has to offer, welcome to Nottingham! While your first few weeks will be centred around navigating the hills of University Park Campus and finding out where your lectures are, why not also try discovering some of the stellar study spaces Nottingham has to offer? 

Hallward Library and George Green are the most popular libraries on campus, but if you’re anything like me, or any other student who craves caffeine and a comfy space to work in, then you should definitely consider making the extra journeys to find coffee shops to catch up on those lectures. Not only does travelling to somewhere new mean you can have a brief moment of exercise to break up a day of work, but a change of scenery can do wonders for focus and concentration. That, and the chance to have a barista-style coffee of your choice- it’s a mocha for me, please!

Whilst there are so many wonderful cafes I’ve found over my four years at Nottingham, I’m sure there are plenty more to explore this year. That being said, here are some of my top choices for places to study!

Blend (Various Locations)

• Blend at East West NG1 5FS

• Blend in Sneinton Market NG1 1DW

• Blend at Nottingham Contemporary NG1 2GB

So many Blends, so many chances to enjoy some of the finest coffee the city centre has to offer! Each different Blend location can guarantee a lovely atmosphere, delicious coffees and lunchtime food (not to mention pastries!). It’s the perfect place  to catch up with friends or make a start on your next essay. One of my favourites is Blend at East West, which is set inside a series of offices - but don’t let that dissuade you!  The cafe holds plenty of space and plug sockets for laptops, and floor-to-ceiling windows which allow for lots of daylight.

Waterstones Cafe

1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham, NG1 2GR

Now this is my number one place to be, a five-storey gem located in the heart of the city centre. Everyone knows what Waterstones is, but have you ever been in one with five floors full of books and stationary, with chairs to sit and peruse the latest reads, and with a cafe on the fourth floor?! When I discovered the cafe during my second year at Nottingham, I felt relieved as a bookworm, that I could purchase new books, study and drink coffee in one building. Waterstones’ cafe is spacious and light, with the  windows overlooking the town square. There is often a great selection of pastries, hot food and snacks on offer. The coffee itself is also incredible, and did I mention that you can get a discount in the cafe when you have a Waterstones student loyalty card? I can’t say anything else other than try it for yourself: Waterstones truly is the place to be .

Public and Plants

11 Low Pavement, Nottingham, NG1 7DQ

What. A. Showstopper! On one sunny September morning, I decided to pay a visit to a new hub of activity: located in a beautifully kept building just a stone’s throw away from the Old Market Square tram stop. Public and Plants has something special to offer for everyone. Want a deliciously crafted coffee? Sorted. Want something to eat? Look no further than the many kinds of croissants on offer including almond, raspberry and Nutella. Maybe even buy a new house plant? There’s a selection near the windows, ready to be taken home! As I enjoyed my new book and devoured what can only be described as the most decadent almond croissant known to mankind, I couldn’t help but be swept up in the lively and welcoming atmosphere, and lit up by daylight flooding through the windows. This beauty is brand new to Nottingham but is set to become a staple place for any student.

Homemade Cafe (at the Pavillion)

Forest Recreation Ground, Mansfield Road, Nottingham NG5 2BU

This treasure trove of a cafe is set on the Forest Rec Ground, a large green space only a stone’s throw away from the Victoria Shopping Centre. Sure, this cafe may be a bit further from campus, but if you take your books and laptop with you for an adventure, you won’t be disappointed! This cafe does not only cater to all your coffee/hot drink needs, but they have an incredible selection of lunchtime foods and cakes made on site daily. And, if you happen to go on a sunny day, why not take a walk around the park before heading back home? It’ll be sure to give you some well needed rest from studying, and make the trip one you’ll be grateful for taking.

200 Degrees  (Various Locations)

• 200 Degrees at 16 Flying Horse Walk, Nottingham NG1 2HN

• 200 Degrees at 7-9 Milton Street Nottingham NG1 3EP

  
  

200 Degrees is the ultimate trendy coffee shop, with a vast selection of hot drinks and smoothies, and a mouthwatering counter of pastries. I will never say no to an almond croissant there, that’s for sure - what better way to wake up in the morning? 200 Degrees is kitted out for us students too, with lots of seating and power sockets; if you’re worried about your laptop dying in the crucial moments of writing an essay, they’ve got your back. They also have a loyalty app, too, so you can get your tenth coffee free!

Nottingham Central Library

1 Carrington Street, Nottingham NG1 7FH

Why hello brand new city library! The Nottingham Central Library has been in the works since I started at UoN (so a good three years now!). When I was visiting Nottingham on a day trip during some time back home from my year abroad , I couldn’t resist having a peek inside… and wow was this space worth the wait! Registering for this library is a must; there is plenty of natural light flooding into the space, with an array of places to study and rooms to book out. There is also a small cafe downstairs, so you never have to worry about packing your things up and going elsewhere for a snack. Not only that, but why not register just to borrow some fiction books? The majority of reading we’ll do in our time at university is academic, so giving our brains the chance to escape with a new read is always valuable. Will I possibly be here more than Hallward? Time can only tell…

And there we have it! Several places, both already cherished and brand new, for you to take a look around this year. If there’s anything else I can say here, it’s that there are plenty more places than this to find in Nottingham, both around campus and in the city centre. But who am I to spoil all the exploring? I’ve put some ideas onto the map, and it’s up to you to find the rest… have fun cafe-hopping!