Hi everyone, it’s Vanessa, your average fifth-year student at UofG!
In 2020, a previous URA with the Live Work Well Research Centre, Shreya, used this blog space to write up a great list of Hidden (and not so Hidden) Gems on Campus for the University of Guelph. I’m returning five years later with even more recommendations, and to see how well her list stood the test of time. There’s something on this list for everybody—whether you need to study, take a nap, or grab a snack. As we move toward midterms, we hope you take a break from studying to explore these hidden gems.
- In 2020, Shreya started her list with the Bullring, and I think it’s safe to say this gem has stood the test of time. Located right beside MacKinnon, this cafe is a popular spot for arts students at UofG. Step inside and you’re immediately greeted by vintage, retro vibes, and a huge, healthy menu. Grab an iced coffee, or maybe a mini pizza, and sit down with your friends (or textbooks). Open late, the Bullring isn’t just the perfect study and snack stop, they also offer live music throughout the semester. Check out this awesome spot, and maybe even sign your name in the bathroom if you have a chance!
- The next item on Shreya’s list was the Arboretum, and anyone at UofG knows that this oasis just minutes from campus will forever be a gem. Many people use the Arboretum as an escape; something about exploring 400 acres of nature and trails seems to take people’s minds off midterms and meetings with profs. But the Arboretum is also a place of learning and innovation. Since Shreya posted in September of 2020, the Live Work Well Research Centre’s “All My Relations” Indigenous Ways of Knowing Research Cluster has begun developing Nokom’s House. This land-based research lab in the Arboretum will be a hub for Indigenous culture and research.
- Shreya shared her love for Pages coffeehouse, which used to be located above the Bookstore in MacNaughton. During the pandemic this location was closed, and later reopened as a Tim Hortons (though you can still see the “Pages” sign on the wall of the cafe if you look). A newer option five years later is to stand in the centre of Branion Plaza, facing the University Centre, and look up. See the patio, with all the chairs? There might be fairy lights strung up as well. That’s the Lookout, otherwise known as my go-to nacho spot. People from all across campus come to the Lookout—profs meeting students, students meeting other students, colleagues having lunch together. If you’re looking for a chill spot to study or connect (and to get a great meal at a good price) take the North elevators to the 5th floor of the UC and check out the Lookout!
- The Edmund C. Bovey building, until my second year, was just another one of the buildings across the street from the main campus. However, one of my writing classes visited this building in 2022, and I was introduced to a series of greenhouses. It blew my mind that there are tropical plants and even cocoa beans growing just off Gordon street. The Bovey Greenhouse is open to everyone, and I’ve found that it’s a good place to visit if you need a pick-me-up in the colder months, or even just some peace and quiet to finish your discussion post.
- Sometimes when you enter the University Bookstore in MacNaughton, it is filled with dozens of people, with aisles narrower than the bed in your dorm room, and half your textbooks are already sold out. If only there was an alternative…. Well, there is—just a five-minute walk from the Bookstore, in Room 037 in the basement of Johnston Hall, is the Co-op Bookstore. Finding this bookstore in my second semester was a lifesaver. For students with a tighter budget, this store has the same E-book access codes and new products as the Bookstore, but they often offer used copies as well as a year-round textbook buyback option. Additionally, if successfully finding your textbooks on your own is a challenge, then worry not—the Co-op Bookstore has a full-service counter. Simply bring your textbook list to the front desk and they’ll help you find what you need.
We hope you can explore these hidden (and not so hidden) gems as you move through your degree at the University of Guelph. Remember that academics only make up a part of your degree, and it’s important to pause and reflect on how you can nourish yourself while still meeting deadlines. Have a great semester!
-written by Vanessa Bonham
