By Hila Davies, Illustrated by Charlie To
Aquarius – The Three Tuns
You can frequently be found in Tuns for your study sessions, that is, if you even make it on to campus. Your contrarian attitude is at home in Tuns’ cosy sofas, 12-11 opening hours and the ability to read Saïd slightly tipsy. With the bar practically empty in the afternoons, you love how antisocial your study sessions are (whilst still giving the illusion that you are up for a good time). Cheers!
Pisces – Shaw Library Terrace
Ah, good old Pisces – romanticising your life once again. You can be found doing your readings on the Shaw Library Terrace, probably sipping a Dirty Chai, headphones blasting some sort of dramatic movie soundtrack that gets you just to the edge of tears. For you, studying only happens when you’re emotionally in the right headspace …Enjoy the views (and awful wind), babe!
Aries – Bottom Floor of the CBG
Always the social butterfly, you can be found on the bottom floor of the CBG, flitting from table to table for a chat…or maybe to make sure your friends are not getting distracted again. A natural born leader, you love how you can sit with your coffee, enjoy the busy atmosphere of the CBG, and keep tabs on everyone, all at the same time. Is the CBG absolute sensory overload? Yes – and you thrive in it.
Taurus – Lincoln’s Inn Fields
Ever the earth sign, Taurus’ can be found in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, basking in the outdoors every chance they get. The sign known for being the sleepiest, you enjoy a cheeky mid-afternoon nap under the trees and being able to feel the ground beneath your back. Always the stubborn one, you will be out in that field come rain or shine, no matter how many pairs of trousers you’ve had to dry clean, ruined with mud stains.
Gemini – Old Anthropology Library
My fellow anthropologists are going to hate me for this one, but honestly, I don’t think there’s anything more Gemini than the Old Anthropology Library. Sometimes dead silent, sometimes filled with raucous laughter, this space is perfect for you, restless Geminis. Always filled with new, interesting people, it fulfils your desire for a good conversation, without leaving you bored. You always get to be the ‘Yes, but…’ person and you love it.
Cancer – Pret A Manger
Sometimes campus can be a bit overwhelming, and there is no one it is more overwhelming for than my darling Cancers. You prefer the comfort of your local Pret, complete with a Hot Chocolate (with added whipped cream, obviously), for your daily study sessions. You enjoy the routine, but also find great comfort in the strangers who pass through Pret’s hallowed halls each day. Everyone has a story, and you’re just grateful that you get to be a part of theirs.
Leo – 3rd Floor tables near spiral staircase
Oh Leo, oh babe…we know what you’re doing with this one. As much as you want to deny it, all Leo’s love being the centre of attention. Not in a 2000s mean girl way (for the most part…), you just want people to appreciate your outfit! You don’t spend hours curating your Pinterest board for nothing! Your view of the spiral staircase makes this the perfect ‘watch-and-be-watched’ spot for all your mid-study sesh cravings. And as an LSE Leo once told me, ‘the higher the floor, the cooler the people’. Everyone loves a little drama. XOXO and that…
Virgo – Silent Zone
As a Virgo, your study sessions are meticulously planned out. You enjoy the structured order of the Silent Zone, The no-food rule brings you much joy – you cannot stand the pesky rule breakers on lower ground – crumbs have no place near your freshly cleaned Macbook keyboard! When you enter a space, you like to use it for its intended purpose, and then leave it just how you found it. Voila – perfection!
Libra – 4th Floor Women’s Library
Always the cool kid, you can commonly be found fraternising with postgrads and PhD students in the 4th Floor Women’s Library. Obsessed with balance and equality, you find harmony by being on the top floor, the symmetry of the rounded sofas and neutral colour scheme. This study spot reminds you of why you came to LSE – to have a meaningful impact in the world.
Scorpio – Velvet Sofa in 32L
Your study spot of choice is basically the closest you can get to dark academia within LSE’s newness. Suitably dungeon-like, the velvet sofas of 32L let you live out your vampire dreams, whilst also just being a great quiet place to get some work done. You like how there’s easy access straight into Lincoln’s Inn Fields for your mid-reading cigarette breaks, and are perfectly content with the lack of actual tables
Capricorn – Marshall Building
Capricorns, Capricorns, Capricorns…you’ve been waiting for this one, haven’t you? The perfect, no-nonsense place to live out your corporate fantasies – who could want more? You love how the Marshall Building makes you feel that your work is oh-so important, and find much joy in the aesthetic of a brown paper bag flapjack from the ‘Beaver’s Brew’. You’re there at 9, leave at 5, and cannot wait to be in the next morning. This is your world, LSE’s just living in it…
