Here at The Oswegonian, we understand the arduous time that is finals week. With this week fast approaching, we thought it would be best to lay down some guidelines to facilitate a little peace and quiet as students swarm the library. Here are the people you don’t want to be:
The Cellphone Chatterbox
To those guys or girls who use the library as a giant payphone, this one is for you. Without being too mean, you are probably the bane of every serious student who uses the library as a resource. This behavior comes down to two things: either you are completely oblivious to your effect on your fellow students or you just plain don’t care. Short conversations are one thing, but if we know exactly what you’re getting for dinner or when you’re going back to Johnson, you need to dial it back.
The Group Room Loner
While finals week entails exams, it is also when a lot of important group presentations occur. Planning group meetings in the library can be a bad experience. Trying to get three to six people together who have conflicting schedules is near impossible. What makes this process worse is trying to find a place to meet in the library. As a kindness to your peers, it’s probably best to take your group meeting to a private place, but that isn’t always possible. There isn’t a single good reason for an individual person to take a group study room. It’s just a waste of a resource. On that note, the resources of the library can only stretch so far. Don’t waste someone’s time lollygagging around.
The Uninvited DJ
This is a moment we believe everyone can relate to: you’re in the library and that stroke of inspiration hits you and sentence number two is in your sights. But wait – an undistinguishable sound keeps grabbing your attention. You crane your neck to find the source of this sound before you finally come across someone wearing a pair of Beats headphones bobbing in the distance. To the person wearing the surround sound: you are a jerk. Not only are your headphones damaging your eardrums, you’re also getting in the way of some serious productivity.
The #Libraryparty Poster
Social networking has become an intricate part of finals week but for the wrong reasons. It’s becoming more and more common to tweet out pictures in the library or put statuses up when you arrive. While there is nothing wrong with this in moderation, it can get annoying. After a selfie, status, Tweet, Snapchat and an Instagram, maybe it’s time to get to work?
The Sneaky Snake
Finally, this is a tip we think is the most important thing we could possibly tell you. The library shouldn’t be a place that adds to your stress. When you get up to go to the bathroom, you shouldn’t be worried about your stuff, period. Though it goes without saying, messing with someone’s possessions in the library is really one of the sleaziest things you could ever do.
Remember, we’re all looking to get the same thing: a quality education. The library is a resource for that. Use it, don’t abuse it.
