Often departmental notices, announcements for conferences, speakers, and meetings, or messages from other students and professors are placed daily in the boxes. Also check the bulletin boards for flyers and announcements. Most importantly, get an email account at UVM at soon as possible. This account will allow you an easy way to communicate with people. Also, there are listservs which send messages pertinent to a specific group of people.
Students often meet in the graduate student lounge for discussions or for meetings.
Other spaces may be available for holding meetings or for studying. Ask the secretaries in the department office about signing up for rooms for these purposes. Room 316 and John Dewey Lounge are often used for committee meetings or colloquiums but may be opened up for presentations or study groups. Also located in the graduate student lounge are copies of former students' thesis. These can help you get ideas for your own thesis.