By Hannah Lussier | Managing Editor
Each semester during finals week there is one day when you find yourself cramming in the library. It is unavoidable. There you are, surrounded by a mountainous pile of notes and textbooks, furiously typing a research paper that is due the next morning. Thinking about that description alone is enough to make any college student feel stressed. Fortunately, at Salve Regina, the library staff has worked hard to make all of our lives easier during this time of the semester. Here are some ways that you can hack McKillop in order to make this finals week your least stressful one yet!
Hack #1: Take Advantage of Extended Library Hours
Each semester, the library offers extended hours so that even those with the wackiest schedules can meet their study needs. Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, the 24 hour schedule means that the library is open to you when you are at your most productive. You can even strategically plan your study hours in order to avoid the midday to midnight crowds!
Hack #2: Free Coffee
In addition to extended hours, the library is also offering free coffee to students during finals week. You can always buy coffee and snacks in the lounge across from the circulation desk, but there are only two days each semester when that coffee is free! So if you notice that your head is falling into your book and your eyelids are getting droopy, make sure you remember to grab a free pick-me-up! Coffee will be offered for free on December 12th and 13th after 9:00 p.m.
Hack #3: Book a Study Room
We all know someone who likes to study completely isolated from the rest of the world. If that sounds like you, then a library study room is your new best friend! These spaces, found on the 2nd and 3rd floors of McKillop, can be booked in advance on the library website. Study rooms are a great place to be if you need to be focused or even if you need a space to discuss the final exam study guide with your friends from class. Study room time slots book up quickly during finals week, so if you think you will need one make sure to book it well in advance!
Hack #4: Takeout Food
No one likes to study on an empty stomach. After all, you are what you eat! If your study habits have taken a toll on your ability to make it over to Miley or Wakehurst, there is no need to go on listening to that grumbly stomach. The library permits all students to order takeout to the first floor. Feel free to call up Crazy Dough for a cheesy pizza or Thai Cuisine for some savory pad Thai!
Hack #5: Items for Check-Out
There is nothing worse than having your phone or laptop lose its charge during the middle of a study session. Thankfully, the library offers a variety of items like chargers, headphones and dry erase markers for loan at the circulation desk. Each item has a time limit and most be brought back to the desk when the user is finished, but the items offered can be a great resource in a pinch!
Good luck this finals week and for more information consult the library website at: library.salve.edu
