A student lounge is a designated space on a college campus — or in some cases, other types of schools such as high schools — where students can relax or study. These lounges can be found in a variety of locations on campus, ranging from student unions to dorms, and the layout and design of the space will vary significantly. The student lounge is frequently designed to be both comfortable and functional, with chairs and tables, power outlets, and, in some cases, televisions and other entertainment options. To reduce background noise and increase privacy, these rooms are usually separated from other common areas.
The most common location for a student lounge is dorms. To accommodate a larger number of students, colleges with multiple dormitories will have numerous lounges, and in many cases, each dorm will have one or more student lounges per floor. Other dorms may only have one or two lounges in the lobby or another common area. The size of the student lounge will depend on the building’s intended population as well as the number of lounges available for student use throughout the building.
Some colleges and universities design their student lounges to be a welcoming, relaxing environment, while others have furniture that discourages true lounging. This is done to encourage academic pursuits rather than recreational pursuits. Other lounges take the opposite approach, making the space as comfortable as possible for social interaction and recreation. Some lounges are even used for events, gatherings, and club meetings, making the space more of a social gathering spot than a study spot. It’s not uncommon for students in the dorm to decide how the room will be used most of the time.
Dormitories do not always have student lounges. On campus, student lounges can be found in classroom buildings, student unions, and other common areas. The placement of these lounges allows students who do not live on campus to use them for study and recreation. Lounges on campus are likely to be larger than those in dormitories, and they may include additional amenities such as computers, printers, scanners, and other technology. With the introduction of the internet, many lounges now offer wireless internet access, allowing students to access the internet without having to plug into any outlets. This also makes it easier to meet the online needs of a larger number of students.