It’s getting to be that time of semester. You’ve got final projects due in half of your classes and exams in the other half, all before next Wednesday. I know that’s how my last two weeks are breaking down, and I’m sure my situation is not an exception.
In light of all the work I have to do, I’ve been spending a lot of time seeking out a quiet place to burn the midnight oil. My room may be open 24 hours, but I find myself getting too distracted with anything I can get my hands on, like bright shiny objects or food. I’ve tried seeking refuge in the Union, but being the hub of activity that it should be, I end up spending more time chatting with friends or looking or seeking out a silent space, that I don’t get much work done. Occasionally, after hours, I manage to find an empty meeting room, but that’s not something I can depend on, especially during the day. Since the academic buildings are now locked at night—during my prime study time—empty classrooms are impossible to access.
So, in the past few days, I finally broke down. After two and a half years at this esteemed institution of higher learning, I found refuge in the library. I’ve only been there for group meetings before, and never at my own will. I’ve never checked out a book—I could never find what I wanted, and even when I did, it was usually written on a graduate student’s level. But now, maybe because as a junior I’m finally far enough in my curriculum, I am finally able to discern some information in the introductory ceramics book I checked out last week.
Additionally, the library is silent. And if you’re inside one of those cubicles that the library has a lot of, you can’t see anything but the work in front of you, so you’re left with no choice but to get your work done, unless you get caught within the abyss that is AIM.
Unfortunately, my late night study sessions end in the library at 3 am, far too early for a night crawler like me. It would be great if the library were open 24 hours during the final 2 weeks of classes. While the library is continuously open during finals, a lot of work gets done at the end of the semester—when freshman are CADing their nights away, sophomores and juniors are spending every waking moment with their IED groups, and everyone else has random projects, labs, and exams to be doing. While the Union is ideal for group work, it would be nice for those who need silence and few distractions to get any sort of real work done, that the library stayed open during this time.
