After a long day in class or at the library, it feels good to unwind with a few friends and have a drink. Fortunately, we are surrounded by diversions of all shapes and sizes right here on campus — the ultimate in convenience for college students looking to maximize their time.

One outlet the university offers is the Study Pub, located on the eighth floor of the recently constructed Fluno Center. Featuring a full-service bar, along with modern amenities like Internet ports, the Study Pub is testimony that UW is a place where people can work and play — sometimes at the same time.

The most dominating feature in the Study Pub is its view of campus, Lake Mendota, State Street and the Capitol. The windows are so large that it feels like they are floating above the busy traffic on University Avenue below. With a drink in hand, it is easy to let the worries of your day simply fade into the background.

Intimate and comfortable, the Study Pub looks more like a private club than a bar. Leather chairs, booths, a long granite bar and a single pool table lit with green light give the Study Pub an image of class and success.

While its image is conservative, there are times when the Study Pub breaks out of its mold. According to bartender Ken Brown, “Every once in a while we’ll have a company reserve the bar for a party — only to push the tables aside, turn up the volume, and start a dance party!”

The scene of middle-aged executives cutting a rug is entertaining, but rare. Most of Study Pub’s traffic is directed by events at the Fluno Center — business school functions and corporate seminars. These are people looking to network and learn but also have a good time when their obligations are complete.

Given its proximity to campus, however, it is not unusual to find students in the Study Pub, either enjoying a drink or brainstorming an idea for an entrepreneurial venture. The Study Pub is open to all members of the UW community, provided you are over 21.

The bar serves Spotted Cow, Leinie’s Red and Capital Brewery Amber, all on tap for $3.00. The rail-drink selection is impressive — Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, Tanqueray and Smirnoff are the norm, and are available for $3.75.

Only a few blocks away from the Study Pub is the Memorial Union Games Room. Hidden in the basement, the Games Room is another fine example of a campus retreat.

With 12 pool tables neatly spread out, it is hard to come down here and not squeeze in a game or two. The standard daily rate is $5.30 per hour after 2 p.m., but the flat rate for unlimited pool ($2.50 Saturday and Monday evenings) is tough to miss.

The Games Room is one of those few places where students of all ages can hang out. An ID is required to drink, but those not of age can still enjoy games, quality time with friends, and plenty of soda until close at 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Long known by insiders (and those of age) as an express lane to the long lines at the Terrace or Rat, the Games Room serves 50 different types of bottled beer. “We have a few customers on their way to trying each one,” employee Andy Voeltner said.

Ranging in price from $2.75 to $3.75, the large selection gives you something to think about between your games of 8-ball. Spotted Cow, available for $3.50, and Rolling Rock, available for $2.75, tend to be the most popular. According to Voeltner, “The Games Room is one of the biggest sellers of Rolling Rock in the country.”

Every pool hall needs stools to sit on while you evaluate your game. No place else in the world has them like you’ll find in the Games Room.

Modified Terrace chairs, raised a few feet off the floor and painted orange, the Games Room stools are truly unique. Although there is nothing terribly unique about the space, the addition of these one-of-a-kind stools leave no doubt that you are in the heart of UW.

When you have had enough of the books, these smoke-free alternatives are a great choice and require little effort. Lacking the pound-yourself-in-the-head intensity of a State Street bar, the Study Pub and the Games Room will leave you relaxed and feeling better for what awaits you tomorrow.

This weekend Bartime will visit the Nitty Gritty, located at 223 N. Frances St. Cheers!