9 Ways to Snag a Study Spot During Finals
But never fear — Dartbeat has decided to help you out. Consider using these essential strategies as you seek out your favorite study spot in the library for 15S finals.
1. Camp out. Bring a sleeping bag and pillow and head to the stacks (a sad reality of finals). Be sure to bring a friend though, since hunkering down alone amongst dark, endless rows of dusty shelves in silence can be slightly creepy if not simply depressing.
2. Form a solid group of spot-keepers. Ally yourself with a team of friends and agree to rotate shifts. While some go get dinner, others plant themselves in your study space, and then vice versa.
3. Don’t sleep in. Thankfully, the library will be open 24 hours. The amount of people who drag themselves out of bed at 8 a.m. will surprise you. Arrive with a spot in mind and go directly there.
4. Change your circadian rhythms. Since you’ll be waking up earlier, you can condition yourself to be hungry for dinner around 4 p.m. So, when the usual suckers head to FoCo between 6 and 7, you can snag a vacated spot.
5. Build a fort. Bring extra clothes or backpacks and lay them out across the tables and chairs you want to save. This will fend off other spot-searchers from sitting down while you take breaks throughout the day.
6. Scare people away. Hang up signs around your study area that will make people too nervous to sit down. Ideas include —but are not limited to — “Caution – wet paint” and “Sit at your own risk.”
7. Plan ahead. Pack an entire day’s worth of food and go somewhere far away from central study locations. Isolation may also amp up your productivity. Check HERE for hidden study spot ideas.
8. Befriend a librarian. Not only might this be helpful for poor souls endlessly trudging through the stacks in search of sources for research papers, but also it’s strategic. Maybe your newfound friend will let you hang out with them behind the librarian desk.
9. Pull the fire alarm. Everyone will rush to exit the library, leaving you with ample study spot options. Yes, some may call this “illegal,” but others think it’s resourceful. Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
Good luck with finals!