As finals approach, those of us who have managed to avoid the library throughout the semester are suddenly faced with the looming choice regarding where to spend the next month. In order to make this decision a little easier, I have compiled a list of places that you can choose from. Instead of flocking straight to Clem or Alderman, consider the breadth of choices available to you in walking distance of Grounds.
1515
If you’re into listening to Akon really loudly while you work and love the sounds of people shouting while you write a paper then this is definitely the place for you. Throw in a group of drunk students rolling in post-10 p.m., and this is 1515 on the average working evening. 1515 is not for the faint-hearted and certainly not for the dedicated worker. If you have a paper and are in need of a valid excuse to be interrupted, then grab a coffee, a pair of noise-cancelling headphones and establish yourself in the window of 1515 for an evening of guilt-free procrastination.
Starbucks
For the well-intentioned student, Starbucks is unrivalled. We all set off in the morning with our sights set on hours spent at the library. For some, however, that is a stretch too far. Starbucks on the other hand is positioned conveniently on the uphill walk to the University, and with the strong smell of coffee seeping through the door, it is no wonder that students tend to tail off minutes before they make it to their desired location. Refills, check. Good influx of people, check. Total inability to do any productive work without being interrupted by people chatting, check. If people watching and procrastination are your niche, then chances are your bank balance is dominated by blonde-espressos.
The Graduate
For all those who live around the Wertland area, you will know that the lure of the Graduate is simple — the 30-second walk. The ability to roll out of bed and into the Graduate in the bat of an eye-lid makes the Graduate a go-to for students. That is, of course, if you are willing to spend $5 each time you fancy a coffee. Echoes of “Shall we pop upstairs for a glass of red when we’re done?” can often be heard around the ground floor of the Graduate. Chances are if you are on the lazy side and have a sizeable allowance then the Graduate is the place for you.
Alderman
I like to think that you can spot a true Alderman-ite from a mile away. Not the person that turns up two weeks before finals looking on the map to see where the “actual working spaces” are, but the person that is truly dedicated. The person that on day one of the semester, with no homework yet assigned, indulges in a cup of Greenberry’s coffee and settles down in the McGregor Room for a much-missed hour of sitting in the McGregor Room reading an old-looking book. Perhaps they will even take a nap on the moderately comfortable sofas — despite living a stone’s throw away — just to prove their commitment to the library. If you are a true Alderman-goer then you will vouch for the fact that when you combine a few dark wood tables and high ceilings, the words basically write themselves.
Clem
Clem could easily be compared to an airport. As soon as you enter the hallowed halls, it could be 2 p.m., midnight or 5 a.m., and you’d simply have no idea. The lighting never changes and the number of people never seems to wane. If you have been in the unfortunate position of having had to stay up to write an essay, you will know that this is the place to be at 4 a.m. While the absence of a café is a clear negative, the vending machines can keep you alive for a surprising amount of time — or so I’ve heard.
The Pav
If you’re working in the Pav, there is one thing and one thing only on your mind — it’s not your latest English Literature paper. You can only find yourself in the Pav if the lure of Chick-fil-A and Five Guys is too much to bear. For those too hungry to tear themselves away, this is the perfect solution. Whether the mixture of the smells of Subway, Chick-fil-A and Five Guys is proven to increase work productivity remains to be seen. However, where else can you see Microsoft Word and Subway without having to even turn around?
The ‘I promise I can study in my room’ people
It is a tale as old as time. “I think I might just study here today,” they confidently assert. On the other end of the phone, it is a very different story. The only thing to do is ask them how many episodes of “The Royals” they’re planning on watching and envy their ongoing optimism about working from home. The home work-space is suited to only a very few. For the rest of us, it is the perfect excuse to content ourselves with the intention of a full day of work, and the reality of a day of home-food, Netflix and blissful rest.
Whichever of these you may be, there is something out there for all of us. Finals does not mean consigning yourself to Clem everyday, and the rest of these options prove just that. Give yourself a bit of light-relief and mix up your study space of choice in order to keep your head clear and your mind fresh.
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