NCW
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Large
Noise level: High
The New College West (NCW) Common Room, in one word, is classy. With its tall coffee shop chairs, glossy piano, and luminous soft lighting, the room is a cross between a posh hotel lobby and a college student’s dream space. By day, the room overflows with sound from students entering the hall, studying, and sitting on the second-floor landing. One of its most popular attractions is the Coffee Club, with its variety of caffeinated (as well as decaf) drinks.
I worked at the NCW Common Room after dinner on a weekday. As the evening progressed, the tasteful Coffee Shop music faded into the intermittent chatter of a friendly study space. I especially appreciated how the room facilitated personal conversation without amplifying echoes like the Rocky and Mathey Common Rooms. It felt like a collection of dorm rooms without walls: a place where we could all be individually productive while sharing the same space.
To me, the NCW Common Room has the best of both worlds. In the day, it’s a lively hub of community; at night, it’s an effective study space. It’s inclusive to both friend groups and solo studiers. It’s not too smelly, not too cavernous, and not too isolated. In the words of Goldilocks, it’s just right.
Rating: 5/5
Yeh
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Large
Noise level: Low
The Yeh Common Room was a real treat to discover. Its calming color scheme of blues, yellows, and oranges create a well-designed, modern aesthetic. Large half-moon lamps hang from the ceiling, and two sides of the room are entirely encompassed by glass windows, making for excellent natural lighting. Like the rest of the lounge areas in the new colleges, the common room has more sofas than people.
I worked at the Yeh Common Room during dinner hours on a weekday. The space was fairly quiet, punctuated by the soft taps of a game at the ping pong table. The high ceilings reminded me of the Rocky and Mathey Common Rooms, and outside I could even watch students jog up and down the soccer field. In addition to the natural light, the room had a healthy balance of foliage, with five plastic imposters hidden among three living plants.
I would definitely study at the Yeh Common Room again. It’s comfortable, quiet, open, and well-lit, with enough chairs for everyone. I’d recommend this common room to students who especially value natural lighting and tranquility in their workspace.
Rating: 5/5
Rocky
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Large
Noise level: High
With its high ceiling, antique rug, and marbled fireplaces, the Rocky Common Room feels like a Hogwarts common room. Its location next to the RoMa dining hall makes it a popular spot to settle, and its mismatched sofas and communal jigsaw puzzles invite studying and contemplation. Located at the far end of the Rocky Common Room, the piano is my favorite. Not only does it actually work, but it fits well with the acoustics of the space.
I worked at the Rocky Common Room during dinner hours on a weekday. I avoided the clay-colored leather sofas and opted for a green velvet chair, which was surprisingly cushy and allowed me to conduct an elaborate balancing act of notebooks and devices on its armrests. Foot traffic from students heading to the dining hall generated a constant conversational undercurrent.
Generally, the Rocky Common Room is a quirky, patchwork place that feels both familiar and ancient. As a study space, its occupancy varies by the time of day. During meal hours, it’s lively; after hours, it can be as silent as a crypt. Students who are comfortable with ambient chatter and live music might like working here. Honestly, I’d go back just for the cushy green velvet chairs.
Rating: 4/5
Mathey
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Large
Noise level: Medium
The introverted sibling of Rocky Common Room, Mathey Common Room is tucked away through a series of stairs and hallways foreign to many non-Mathey residents. Still, it is just as grand as the Rocky Common Room, with sofas and chairs in solemn deep reds and browns accompanying a slightly less functional piano.
I worked at Mathey Common Room after dinner on a weekend. The room has a limited number of desk-height tables, so I opted for one of the knee-high tables encircled by throne-line chairs. Unfortunately, to use the table, I had to either hunch over from the chair or sit cross-legged on the rug, both of which were awkward.
However, the same circular arrangement of chairs was favorable for social gatherings, and I witnessed a few groups working together and chatting in them. But the sparsely populated, yet cavernous room meant that their conversations echoed, making it difficult to concentrate on work. However, every once in a while, the hall fell into a precious silence.
The Mathey Common Room has the potential to be a lovely, quiet area during its least busy hours. Students who like to burrow into cool, dark places away from the crowds to lose track of time might appreciate this space.
Rating: 3/5
Forbes
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Medium
Noise level: Low
Similar to Butler, Forbes does not have an officially named “common room” but rather a lounge area. Right by the main entrance, the Forbes lounge is an open, modest space featuring a piano and an assortment of long leather couches and tall chairs that neatly match Forbes’s red and black color palette. French doors on one side of the room contribute natural lighting and a fantastic view of the Springdale golf courses.
I worked at the Forbes lounge after brunch on a weekend. The room didn’t receive much foot traffic while I was there — most students went to the outdoor patio instead — and the space wasn’t very conducive for work. The only flat workspace near me was a tiny circular table which, though cute, seemed more suitable as a bedside table than as a work desk. However, I enjoyed the autumn-colored room decor, which included framed photos of trees in fall and the Forbes crest to compliment the pale yellow walls.
Altogether, the Forbes lounge seems more appropriate as a transient workspace or social hub than a productive study space. Students who are willing to work without a table or who plan to casually read might enjoy this clean, elegant space.
Rating: 3/5
Butler
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Medium
Noise level: Medium
In my quest to find the elusive Butler Common Room, I discovered Butler’s hidden network of underground common spaces, accessible by descending from the ground-level glass entrance near the Lourie-Love Walk. Tucked away in the rabbit warren are Studio 34 — a café with charming beehive-shaped light fixtures — and the Class of 1942 Lounge.
With no officially named “common room,” I settled in the latter after dinner on a weekend. Aesthetically, the lounge is rather underwhelming, with wooden tables, a gray carpet, Rocky-esque clay-colored leather sofas, and odd glass displays of artifacts. The leather sofas were not my favorite, so after much fidgeting, I moved into one of the lounge’s alcoves, which was continuous with the common space but offered privacy and a table. The space was not particularly clean, and as more students passed through, the sound level increased from pool table smacks and brief exclamations to full-on chatter.
I found the lounge to be an adequate but not quite comfortable workspace. On an ordinary day, it might not get much foot traffic; otherwise, it’s a challenging space to share with noisy groups. Students who are looking for a minimalist, office-like space might appreciate the Class of 1942 Lounge as Butler’s de-facto “common room.”
Rating: 2/5
Whitman
Jessica Wang / The Daily Princetonian
Size: Small
Noise level: Low
Separated from a hallway by a glass wall, the Whitman Common Room feels more like a zoo exhibit than a cozy study space. The bland decor includes squarish sofa chairs, a table, and a piano with a missing F# string in the bass clef. The room frequently smells like unidentified food residue, and opening the windows for ventilation leaves the room at the mercy of the outside elements — which, in my case, was a frigid spring morning.
I worked at the Whitman Common Room after brunch on a weekend. Not a single soul joined me in the three hours I worked there, freezing at one of the dining table chairs. However, the access to a piano provided its perks, and I was able to practice some music for fun.
Overall, I was unimpressed with the Whitman Common Room. Its enclosure-like structure doesn’t encourage collective, spontaneous gathering or studying like the spaces at Rocky, Mathey, or the new residential colleges. The main selling point is the fact that its paltry popularity leads to an extremely low noise level. I’d recommend the Whitman Common Room to students looking for a table, a chair, and a simple place to work undisturbed.
Rating: 1/5
Jessica Wang is a member of the Class of 2026 and a contributing writer for the Prospect at the 'Prince.' She can be reached at jessica.wang@princeton.edu.
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