24-Hour Study Locations

For most towns, the list of locations that are open 24 hours is limited to gas station convenience stores and possibly the local grocery store or the Super Wal-Mart. While some luckier individuals get to enjoy a rare twenty-four hour Starbucks as their favorite late-night hangout location in their town, most people are never offered this luxury. While the absence of a twenty-four hour location may not be too great of an issue to the regular population, the same cannot be true of the generation of university students. Many of these students relish opportunities to do off-campus studying, often times seeking some place that offers an all-nighter option for their stay. For those of you who are studying in college towns that lack an all-night coffee shop or another similar friendly venue, here is a look at a couple of restaurants that also often offer twenty-four hour service. (While not all of their locations are open twenty-four hours, many of them are; call beforehand to verify the hours of your local options).

IHOP: Everyone loves their friendly International House of Pancakes, and now many of these restaurants are offering 24 hour service. Most also have a free wireless internet option, perfect for doing research and typing up that paper you've been procrastinating on. Additionally, the prices for the food at IHOP is decently affordable; if you're in for a long night, I would suggest ordering a cup of their bottomless coffee to keep you company over the entire night. Their never ending stack of pancakes also may be a great option; while I wouldn't advise consuming copious amounts of pancakes throughout the entire evening, this order of pancakes may be the perfect study break during the wee hours of the morning. IHOP tends to be a well-lit restaurant, guaranteed to keep you awake even when the thought of a dorm room bed is tempting you. Most have both tables with chairs and booth/bench seats available and there usually are a few power outlet locations (for charging your laptop) at each location.

Village Inn: Similar in concept to IHOP, Village Inn also is open twenty-four hours in many places. With a menu comparable with IHOP and similar prices, the difference between IHOP and Village Inn's food is really up to your personal preference. The lighting in Village Inn, however, tends to be dimmer overall than IHOP's lighting, which could make it harder to stay awake late into the evening. Village Inn may also not have wireless internet options; call before you plan your all-night studying date to check if your local restaurant offers this service. A perk to Village Inn is their "free pie Wednesday"-a great treat to any hard working college student on a well-deserved study break.

Both of these locations are great options for staying in one place off campus all evening to study. Please remember, however, if you are going to take advantage of their services that you are courteous to the staff on duty over the evening and that you remember to tip well. This will ensure that you will be welcomed back on your next night of late studying.