A List of Not-So-Mid Things We Enjoy
When exam weeks are upon us, it can be hard to maintain a positive attitude and keep your head up. It is a particularly brutal season of term, where long (4 to 5-hour long) exams for some classes are coupled with problem sets and projects that are still on schedule for others. Unlike finals, we don’t get the week off for midterms, so this season is particularly mid. It’s so hard to forget that there are things that we can enjoy and look forward to during these exams, and once they are done. To all of you reading this article, keep pushing through! We are proud of you, and you are doing really well. The light is at the end of the tunnel, I promise.
Favorite study spots
Blossom: I am a big fan of walking around and figuring out where to study to procrastinate (and collect my thoughts). I experimented a lot over the past year where I could study and have a great time. Here is a list of some of the best lock-in spots, IMO:
- Prior to me getting a monitor this summer, the double monitors on the SFL third floor (optimal for studying for a certain class’s long closed note exams).
- Chen 2nd floor standing desks - these are near the balcony, and I swear this is amazing. I am a big Chen proponent, and anywhere is basically a nice place to lock in, but the view is really good + the desks can rise, so you don’t have to sit the whole time. Perfect to lock in for especially long sets.
- Lauritsen 4th Floor: This is perfect after 12-AM activities. Accost your PMA friends to let you in (Frosh and Smores, you might have access bc of Ph1 and Ph2 but don’t quote me on that). The wall to wall blackboards are perfect, and the chalk color available is amazing.
- SFL Third Floor: Specifically, the big tables near the plants, or the balconies. The vibe of working there with other people but in silence actually does wonders. Booking a study room is also an immaculate option.
Fubbles: I’m not going to lie: it took me until this term to finally go to the third floor of SFL for the first time. I know, I know, that’s kind of wild considering it’s the main library on campus, but I find that I can’t lock in if my surroundings are too quiet. That’s why my recent go-to study spot has been the back couches in Red Door, the ones near the bookstore. This way I can hear the hum of conversation as I do my set, and I can also easily order however much caffeine I need to fuel my brain.
Fubbles’s pick: 3rd Floor SFL. Photo Credit: library.caltech.edu
Duttercup: Basement SFL Floor: Specifically the one person chair to the left when you walk down the stairs.
Favorite dining menu item
Blossom: Breakfast wise, I am a big fan of the Broad Nutella Toast and the Browne Breakfast Omelet. We need Broad back, I am so serious - I cannot keep living off of solely Red Door and Browne. The Red Door matcha (always medium so it’s less dilute) with strawberry or rose syrup (or hibiscus, when it’s back) also goes really hard. Finally, I am a big fan of adding the seasonal pumpkin syrup to an iced chai (medium) with oat milk. Also, I am a big fan of Browne sushi, the Red Door Grilled Chicken and Red Tofu sandwiches, the Browne sweet and spicy chicken pizza, and the Udon!
Fubbles: As a Broad stan, I am waiting for the day Broad Cafe reopens so I can reunite with my beloved Ginger Chicken Banh Mi. However, until then, I have been frequenting Browne for the Breakfast Sandwich in the mornings and the sushi bar during lunch. As for drinks, I’m a loyal orderer of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Red Door. (Yes, I know it’s just a latte with pumpkin syrup added to it but it’s good, okay?)
Duttercup: Sunrise breakfast from Browne during the weekdays. I get that meal so much that the cook doesn’t even need to ask anymore “what is your order” because he just knows and says “I got it”. On the weekends I get a bacon breakfast sandwich with a side of hashbrowns. The cook on the weekends also knows my order and just says “breakfast sandwich with bacon, side of hashbrowns” and I just smile and say “yes sir.”
Favorite mural in the Houses
Blossom: I am personally a big fan of the Venerable planet mural found in the blue Alley. The colors are really pretty and every time I walk past it, it makes me happy.
Fubbles: I really love the Haikyuu mural in one of the Lloyd stairwells. Haikyuu, an anime about high school volleyball, is one of my favorite shows, so I really love that someone else enjoyed it enough to make such beautiful art out of it. (Side Note: To this day, I am still saddened by the fact that Caltech does not have a men’s volleyball team.)
Duttercup: My favorite mural is the Page mural that says something along the lines of “your best is just not good enough at Caltech.” I think it’s very funny and relatable because as much as you think you got it, Caltech just slaps you across the face.
Duttercup’s pick: Page mural. Photo Credit: Michael Gutierrez
Favorite places on Lake Ave
Blossom: You can never go wrong with Twinkle Tea (get the student discount with your ID). Mandarin Coffee is particularly solid (go at a non-busy hour and you might have to leave slightly early for most efficiency) - their hojicha is to die for. Pillow Talk has an amazing mango matcha and a honeycomb latte. This is leaning more Green Street, but New York Gyro is fire.
Fubbles: Just like Blossom, I’m also perhaps a boba and matcha addict. Twinkle Tea is one of my go-tos, but I also frequent OinkMoo Tea Bar and Float Pasadena Cafe. Sugary drinks aside though, I find that the place on Lake I visit the most is actually Walgreens! Not only do I get my vaccinations there at the start of the year to avoid the frosh plague, but I also go every few weeks to stock up on sunscreen, body wash, and Robitussin, which I always end up chugging like it’s water.
Duttercup: Urban Plates is amazing. If you really want a meal after finally being tired of CDS you can go there and their plates are delicious. I recommend the steak or the shrimp plate with brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.