The student news site of Robinson High School

Knight Writers
The student news site of Robinson High School

Knight Writers
The student news site of Robinson High School

Knight Writers
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ISSUE 3: Struggling To Find a Study Spot? We Got You

Tampa has plenty of spots to get into the books; here are the Knightwriters’ picks.
Allison Bartlett and Annabelle Bulger
March 15, 2025
Photo Allison Bartlett
Jan Platt Library with the palm trees out fronts.

With exam season approaching, the stress of studying is also on the rise. One key factor in how well you study—and in turn, how well you perform in exams—is selecting the right environment. For me personally, some rooms in my house just don’t provide a conducive study atmosphere, making it super hard to focus.  That said, there many quiet spaces to study around South Tampa.

Buddy Brew

If you love a cozy yet modern atmosphere with great coffee and even better food, I highly recommend heading to Buddy Brew Coffee for some after-school studying. There are three locations near Robinson: on Kennedy, Bay to Bay Ave, and in Hyde Park. Each location offers a variety of seating options, including barstools, couches, and traditional tables and chairs. All locations provide free Wi-Fi and large windows that let in plenty of sunlight. The coffee is reasonably priced compared to competitors, though they mainly offer traditional coffees and teas with syrup options. The food can be a bit expensive, though. Another downside is that all the locations are at least a 10-minute drive away, so you’d need to factor in the time to get there and back, especially with Tampa traffic.

Jan Kaminis Platt Regional Library

Jan Platt is a great place to study. It has a nice, quiet atmosphere, good lighting, and a large space where you can find a peaceful spot to study. There are plenty of places to sit and spread out all of your study materials. The only thing I’d suggest is avoiding the social corner at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays when all the middle schoolers from Madison are released. The library offers free Wi-Fi, as do all Hillsborough County libraries, and you can also use the computers to access programs like Canvas, which is essential for studying. Personally, I like how close Jan Platt is to Robinson. It can be tough to find a good study spot near home, but Jan Platt definitely fits the bill.

University of Tampa Library

I think people forget that you can still go to a college library even if you’re not a student at that college because, technically, they’re public resources. I recommend the University of Tampa Library for that Pinterest-perfect, romanticized study session, thanks to its aesthetically pleasing environment. While you can’t check out books, you can take books off the shelves, as long as you put them back. One advantage of going to a college library is that it provides access to college-level books, so AP, AICE, or IB students could likely find materials related to their studies. This is a great fallback if YouTube review videos don’t cover everything (which, from experience, sometimes they don’t).

Kahwa Coffee

Kahwa Coffee is an underrated gem right near Robinson. The nearest location is on Gandy, offering all outdoor seating, which is perfect for studying outside on those beautiful Florida spring days. It also has Wi-Fi. The coffee is some of the best in Tampa and reasonably priced, and the food is phenomenal for a good price as well. While you’d have to drive to Starbucks and spend around $15 on a coffee and sandwich, you can get something similar but better at Kahwa for just $10. While you might have to deal with the weather and sun occasionally, if you’re looking for an outdoor study spot with great coffee, Kahwa is the place to be.

In all honesty, you should study wherever you can, as long as you find a good spot. Sometimes, that place can even be at home. There’s this idea that studying should be a perfectly organized, aesthetic experience, but in reality, studying is usually messy—at least for me. It’s papers all across the table, and sometimes starting fresh at a library or café can help, but often the easiest solution is doing what works for you.

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About the Contributors
Allison Bartlett
Allison Bartlett, Staff Writer
Allison Bartlett is a sophomore and a staff writer for Knight Writers. This is her first year on staff. Bartlett was drawn to journalism in her freshman year of high school, looking for an outlet to express her ideas. After taking journalism one, she knew she wanted to join newspaper. “I didn’t enjoy using InDesign, but I did like doing cutouts which can be featured in the newspaper,” Bartlett said. Outside of newspaper, Bartlett is an avid member of the RHS Starlets, practicing daily to improve her skills. “I wanted to have something to do after school and I wanted a way to find friends,” Bartlett said. “It’s a great community of people who I wouldn’t get to meet otherwise.” Because of this, one of the biggest things Bartlett looks forward to this year is spending more time with friends and dancing with the Starlets. “I want to have a more active social life and I’m hoping Starlets can help me meet people,” Bartlett said “also spend more time with my current friend group,” Bartlett said. Bartlett also likes to spend her free time expanding her horizons by reading books, as well as keeping her hands busy with sewing. “I love sci-fi novels. I think it’s cool to think about what could happen in the future,” Bartlett said. Out of the sci-fi genre, Barlett says her favorite series lately has been the critically acclaimed Hunger Games. “I like how, despite each book being about the games, they are different enough to explore various topics each time, and the variety works well to keep the books from feeling repetitive,” Bartlett said. In school, Bartlett enjoys working to improve herself in her favorite subjects, English and History. “Reading the novels and discussing them is my favorite part of the class, and in particular I liked Oedipus Rex,” Bartlett said. After high school, Bartlett aspires to go to the University of Florida due to her competitive nature, and as for what she plans to study, Bartlett has a few ideas. “I either want to do something in technology or law,” she said. “I haven’t decided yet.”
Annabelle Bulger
Annabelle Bulger, Fun Coordinator
Annabelle Bulger is a senior at Robinson and this is her second year on staff. She is the Fun Coordinator for the Knight Writers. Bulger has been dancing since the age of three. She’s has done ballet, jazz, tap and musical theatre dance. She has lived in Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, Washington, Texas and now resides in Florida. “Dancing has pretty much been one of the few constants in my life, no matter where I went, I had dance,” Bulger said. She has gone on a few adventures. Her mother would take her on hikes during her time in Washington state. She hated it initially, but she eventually began to enjoy it. She started to like hiking more when she realized how beautiful the landscapes were. “My favorite was hiking in Mount Rainier National Park, in Washington, in the summer of 2022,” she said. “I hope to travel more once I graduate, either to Europe, New York City, Yellowstone National Park, or Washington, D.C.” Bulger loves traveling and would love to travel and explore more places once she’s done with school and college. She also loves Journalism because it gives her the freedom and space to write about whatever she wants and gives her peace of mind. “I joined journalism because I always wanted to be a part of a school newspaper or yearbook, and I got suggested to Mrs. Webster as a staff writer. I love the energy of the class and how we work together to create our final product,” Bulger said.  Annabelle plans to do more fundraisers and help build a positive environment in Newspaper. She wants to focus on expanding her portfolio to include more topics. “Last year I mainly wrote opinions and A&E, and this year I want to do more sports and news,” Bulger said. Bulger has always loved non-fiction books. Some of her favorites include Wright Thompson’s “The Cost of These Dreams” and Tom Wolfe’s “The Right Stuff.” “I loved the way these authors told their stories,” Bulger said, “and they continue to inspire how I approach my writing.” Bulger says Thompson and Wolfe are two of her biggest inspirations. After graduation, Bulger is pretty set on her plans after high school, as she has a plan for college and after college graduation. “I’m set on my future careers. I want to be an Air Force pilot and maybe once I retire, I’ll become a journalist or a screenwriter, I’ve always loved creating stories. I plan on pursuing an engineering career with some minor in either STEM or literature,” Bulger said.
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