I used to view strange behavior in the library as isolated incidences. Until my friend pointed it out to me, I didn’t realize there was a pattern: people get weird in the library after 10pm. I’m unsure if it has something to do with the mix of caffeine and undertones of complete exhaustion. No matter the reason, it is quite clear that the later it gets in O’Neill Library, the stranger it gets. One night as I studied for my Neuroscience exam I took notes on abnormal behavior in the library. Here are some of things you’ll see when you spend an all-nighter in the library during finals week:
1. People make themselves at home. The line between “camping out” and “moving in” gets very blurred as the delusional state of studying progresses in the late hours of the night. There’s always that handful of students that get way too comfortable in the library. I acknowledge that the booths in the Reading Room resemble the form of a bed in comfort and size. And will admit 20-minute power naps make for good study breaks. But when you pull a blanket out of your backpack, I think you’ve gone too far. If you plan on taking a 3-hour nap in O’Neill, please make other sleeping arrangements. If you know you’ll be hitting your sleep REM cycles, it’s time to go home.
2. People remove their shoes. At O’Neill it seems like the confines of daily footwear are just too constraining. I suppose you need an open shoe to have an open mind. Although I will never fully fathom why someone would take their shoes off in public, I am willing to accept it if it happens under the table and without the olfactory impact of offensive food odor. However, when someone parades his or her feet around the library, it’s weird. Side note: If you plan to take on this shoeless endeavor you may want to look into investing in bi-weekly pedicures or purchase an array of colorful socks.
3. People jam out. I can’t study without music to get me through my thrilling notes on the diffuse modulatory systems. In other words, I understand why people listen to music in the library. But observations have made me think there’s something about the delusional state hours of studying that makes you lose sense of common decency. At 11:04pm I saw the guy sitting in a booth air drumming what I’m assuming was the chorus of his song. Thanks to his clever style choice of wearing a beanie underneath his headphones (why?) and unreasonable music volume, the entire floor witnessed his performance. But he didn’t mind, I think he mistook the sleep deprived glares for the looks of interested fans. I suppose some people were interested… Interested in what the f*** was taking their focus away from their schoolwork.
4. People forget they are in a library. Studying late in the library should never be a one-man jo, so many who frequent O’Neill, tend to travel in herds. These exclusive herds can be seen conquering all of the booths and larger tables in the library. The problem with herds is, they don’t stop talking or laughing. When I’m trying to focus, the sound of laughter makes me sick. Just kidding… sort of. As it gets late, there’s less studying and more laughing in the library.
5. People break the rules. There are many designated doors one can use to exit O’Neill Library, so why exit through the only restricted door? Last week in O’Neill I saw a girl come into the Reading Room through the emergency exit door. But not only did her grand entrance entail using a restricted door but she also decided to carry on a conversation with her friend outside by opening leaving the forbidden door wide open. I’m not sure if you’re trying to add some spice to your Charles Dickens novel but it’s not cool to break safety rules. And if you’re going to do something that’s not permitted at least try discrete about it.
6. People order food. I applaud those who order food to be delivered to the library. If you’re in need of actual sustenance (because eating three bags of Cheez-Its from the vending machine for dinner gets old) and don’t have too much time to spare this is a great choice. I’ve only seen this rarity occur during finals week but I love it. I think I might order some Fin’s fried rice to the library this week because YOLO.
I think the more engrossed we get in studying for our finals, the more we throw the basic rules of social construct out the window (and sometimes out the emergency exit). Although I admit some of the strange behavior in the library annoy me, it keeps me awake. As long as you’re not seriously disrupting everyone, take your shoes off and get silly.
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