As a college student, studying is a pillar of the university experience. Most of us are already familiar with the prestigious art of late-night assignments or cramming for a test. Unfortunately, there’s no convenient way to study late at night as a student in a shared dorm. Students with singles don’t have to worry about this, but there’s a shortage of singles this year. This highlights the necessity of a 24/7 study space on the University of Maine campus.
The library is not adequate as a late night study space due to the hours. It’s open until Midnight Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, but closes at 6 p.m. on Saturday. While it’s true that many students are not studying on a Saturday night, there are certainly students with a need for a study space just as much on the weekends as on the weekdays. The library extends hours during finals week to 1 a.m., but there are still students who want to study past this time without disturbing their roommates. This issue ties back to the current housing issue, and we won’t see an immediate solution for either of these things, but it seems to make evident the necessity for a place where students can study.
A study space would not require workers to staff it overnight. The library is different since it provides services from librarians and books to be checked out, but there’s no need for a staff in a space that’s just designed to be a comfortable study environment. This seems to be an issue with universities in general. A quick look into universities similar to ours, such as the University of Connecticut, managed to bear no results of a 24/7 study space. A big portion of college students are a nocturnal breed and the large sum of money we pay towards the school every semester should afford students the opportunity to study past 6 p.m. on a Saturday. The services provided by the library are invaluable, but that shouldn’t mean ignoring the necessity for a less formal study space that can be operated without an overnight staff.
This issue does, however, also tie back to the general theme of space on campus that the administration hasn’t designated a use for. Because of this, it’s hard to recommend a specific spot on campus or to advocate for a new building to be built, since we don’t even know what buildings will still be around in a few years. Despite these complications, it’s still shocking to consider that there’s no good place to study for an exam past midnight even on a school night before that class. One possible option is to put a study space in a portion of a building that can remain unlocked, but then there still presents the issue of students potentially being able to access the rest of the building after hours. Whatever the solution looks like, UMaine should figure out a way to establish study spaces that can stay open regularly. College students can and do have a need for studying late.
