Why the Church Basement is the Best Study Spot
By SAM ALTMAN ‘26 and JINMIN LEE ‘26
It is no secret that students should find a place dedicated to studying. The common rooms are too loud, the library is filled with preps gossiping on the floor below you, and you must keep looking up to say hello to each Exonian who enters D^2 during your study session. To enter into deep hyperfocus, students must find a quiet and inspirational place: the Phillips Church.
The Phillips Church has everything for productive study sessions: free snacks and refreshments, a private bathroom, and its spiritual nature. Importantly, it is quiet and peaceful, with the occasional sound of a student playing the organ.
At Exeter, we’re lucky to have lots of outlets to cure our hunger. You can go to Grill at almost all times on the weekdays, and the dining halls are open for all of the major meals and snack time. But sometimes, you just don’t want to spend money on food, you don’t want to be around others while you’re having a snack, or you just need a place to study and a bit of sustenance to keep you going. That’s where the church basement comes in. After Wednesdays, the pastries from Meditation remain for a decent portion of the week, and the main floor is also almost always stocked with Nature Valley Bars, fruit, and a few honey sticks. Further, you’ll always find hot chocolate mix, some tea, and often some soda in the fridge in the basement. With almost no one around, the church offers just the right amount of snacks to not attract absolutely everyone, while still remaining as something to look forward for regulars.
Let’s be honest: the bathroom experience in your dorm is not always the best. Especially if you’re in a rowdy large dorm like Cilley Hall, it often consists of waiting for many others to finish and, quite frankly, it’s sometimes disgusting. This goes for a lot of bathrooms on campus that are regularly used by students. However, the bathrooms in the church basement are modern, pristine, secluded, and nearly never used. Not only that, but they’re right behind the corner of your study spot in the basement.
When you think of popular study spots on campus, the church is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Students usually flock to places like the library, EPAC, or even the music building. Anyone who tends to be loud when they’re “working” would just to those sorts of places to hang out with their friends. But no one goes to the church basement to lollygag because there’s quite frankly nothing to do here except listen to soft music above, staring at the white concrete walls ahead of you, or, well, work. To make the point even clearer, you’ll often find people taking a nap here, something that could never be done in more popular spaces.
Music calms the mind and induces studying. Often, students put on their headphones to “lock in,” playing classical music or LoFi. However, imagine having another person playing live for you as you study. It’s as though you are attending a small concert but just for yourself. You respect the hard work and the craftsmanship of the music, inspiring you to get through another block of mental fatigue and finish your assignments. The organ’s soothing notes make you relaxed yet alert while helping you appreciate the value of discipline. As we write this, we hear either Karsten Vun ‘26 or Sam Kopun ‘27 playing their masterpieces for hours.
Ninetheenth-century philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously wrote, “One who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” Often, students are drained of motivation and drive, lacking the will to study. However, the church’s atmosphere fills the heart with purpose. As you walk in, you ponder about the hundreds of meditations students and staff gave on that very podium in front of the altar. You consider all of the people who sat on the chairs for evening prayer. It gives you a sense of continuity and connection with the past and future, giving you the push to continue with your life.
