Are you wondering if your “Saturdays Are For The Boys” flag and stolen street signs will make a good impression on potential employers?

Well, they probably won’t.

More and more employers are choosing to conduct interviews via Zoom as the coronavirus pandemic rages on. For students living in chaotic households or for those who have multiple roommates, finding an alternative location to do an interview is essential.

With many locations on-campus being unavailable this semester, we set out to find some of the best spots left at Penn State to finally help you land that job or internship.

Library Study Spaces

Penn State’s libraries are chock full of great, quiet places to study — especially in individual rooms you can reserve. While the rooms were originally meant for five or six students, social distancing has limited the maximum occupancy to just one person per room, making it the perfect spot for an interview. The rooms look very professional and are nearly soundproof. Plus, some of the doors lock and you have easy access outlets to prevent the nightmare of your computer dying mid-interview.

You can reserve a room for yourself through the University Libraries’ website.

On-Campus Classrooms

Now that many in-person classes were moved online this semester, countless classrooms are left collecting dust all day. Buildings like Willard, Hammond, Reber, and many more have classrooms that anyone can use throughout the day. The downside is most of these rooms do not lock, so you may want to put a sign on the door to avoid interruptions.

Penn State’s set aside a handful of rooms specifically for remote learning. Plus, it released a handy list of each building’s modified hours and openings.

Pro tip: Avoid the room where you failed MATH 110. That shit still hurts.

Courtyards

I was skeptical at first when some of my friends recommended the many on-campus courtyards for interviews, but they did not disappoint.

Students with in-person classes this semester know that during the day campus is basically a ghost town. These secluded courtyards rarely have any people walking through and are extremely quiet. The campus Wi-Fi seemed to work perfectly in each location I visited, but I would still make sure you have a solid connection before committing to one of these spots.

Additionally, a courtyard background will look straight out of a fall Pinterest board.

Apartment Study Rooms

Do you have friends who live in lavish apartments? Take advantage of them. Many of the high-end State College apartments like the Rise, the HERE, and the Met come with private study rooms just like the ones in the library. The only catch is that most of these rooms require someone who lives in the building to get into, but if you can get access to them, there aren’t many spots better.

Your Bedroom

*Sigh*

While this should probably be your last option, sometimes you’re going to need to make do with it. If you must use your bedroom, I recommend you let your roommates know ahead of time that you’re going to need some peace and quiet. The last thing you want is to be mid-answer, only to hear your other three roommates blasting “WAP” in the living room.

And again, please take down that “Saturday’s Are For The Boys” flag. Take our word for it.