A few weeks ago, Sciences Po was closed for Armistice Day, I walked into Mamatte with a friend, expecting a quiet study session. Instead it seemed like all the other students had the same idea. Every table on all three floors — plus the outdoor rooftop with its cozy seats and couches — was filled. Students typing on laptops, Moodle dashboards glowing, notebooks scattered across communal surfaces. We barely managed to find seats, and as we looked around, we recognized so many familiar faces from lectures, seminars, and previous library visits. Mamatte didn’t feel like a public café, it felt like a shared living room for Sciences Po students, a place where semester stress, last-minute assignments, and the quiet energy of studying converged. My go-to order,a chocolate babka and an iced dirty chai latte, offered a small comfort amidst the buzz.
Sciences Po is a small campus, and cafés often serve as extensions of it. Unlike in North America, where first-year students commonly live in shared dorms and eat meals in communal dining halls, here students mostly live alone and navigate the city independently. In that context, cafés become vital: they’re where you run into classmates, talk through course material, or simply take a break surrounded by other students.
In North American universities, third spaces take on a very different shape. Campus life tends to revolve around shared dorm lounges, dining halls, student centers, and late-night common rooms: places where you naturally bump into people without planning. These spaces blend social life and academics by default, so cafés aren’t usually asked to carry that load. They’re more of a supplement than a social anchor. Moving to France shifted that for me. Without those built-in communal areas, cafés quickly became the places where spontaneity, study culture, and social comfort happened all at once. The café replaced the dorm lounge and dining hall conversations, becoming the new way to feel part of something bigger than an individual routine.
Studying in cafés can also be less stressful than studying in the library. The informal atmosphere allows for breaks, gentle background noise, and flexible seating. Seeing others’ work can quietly motivate without the pressure of formal library rules. Soft music, natural light, and the gentle hum of conversation create a productive yet low-pressure environment, making it easier to focus and stay energized.
Mamatte perfectly embodies this. Its three floors and rooftop give students choices: upstairs for quiet solo work, the main floor for group collaboration, or the rooftop for a breath of fresh air. The layout, combined with cozy corners and welcoming baristas, transforms study time into something social, comforting, and adaptable.
Starbucks, meanwhile, provides a different kind of third space. Its smaller size makes it feel more intimate, and grabbing a booth gives you a cozy corner for study or conversation. As a Canadian, the familiarity of Starbucks — the same drinks, music, and atmosphere I know from home — makes it easier to settle in and focus.
This sense of belonging in cafés isn’t random — it’s exactly what sociologist Ray Oldenburg meant when he coined the term “third place” in The Great Good Place. According to Oldenburg, third places are “public places that host the regular, voluntary, informal, and happily anticipated gatherings of individuals beyond the realms of home and work.” These spaces are neutral ground, accessible, and deeply important to community life.
The energy in Mamatte perfectly illustrates why third spaces are so valuable. Students clustered around laptops, quietly comparing notes, whispering explanations, and drawing energy from seeing others tackle the same work. The café becomes a social incubator, where belonging and productivity intersect, and even the busiest day feels connected rather than isolating. Starbucks, while smaller and quieter, offers a similar calm and familiar focus for those who find the right spot, showing that third spaces can take many forms.
Ultimately, cafés as third spaces are about connection, comfort, and routine. They let students study, socialize, and feel part of a community outside home and school. Whether it’s a chocolate babka and iced dirty chai latte at Mamatte or a cozy booth and familiar drinks at Starbucks, these spaces provide stability, warmth, and a shared rhythm — quiet anchors of student life in Reims.
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