Sleeping…Oh! And Studying

Naps.

The one thing that college students can never seem to get enough of. With the semester fast approaching its bittersweet end, finals season is now here. With that comes late nights of studying, early mornings filled with studying and even meals complete with a side of studying.

No amount of coffee, Redbull or Adderall will be sufficient enough to keep one human studying without much sleep. So, where are the most efficient places to hunker down and catch some Z’s?

Upper Finch Study Room

After studying for hours on end, one might begin the long and gruesome fight with sleep. But, this is finals and one cannot simply pick up their pile of books and walk the treacherous fifty yards to their room. So, when eyelids get heavy and the four cups of joe wear off, where is there to go for a power nap? Well, Finch has some fabulously large, cushioned chairs that can be positioned side-by-side to create a lovely self-made mattress.

Here is the important part: Place this makeshift bed against a wall (preferably in a corner). Without the stability of the walls, the wheels of the chair can carry the feet left, the butt right and the head toward the knees. Ouch!

Garden Area Outside of Fermanian Hall

Grab a hammock, a sleeping bag or just a blanket and mosey on up to the Fermanian Business Center. Just follow the sidewalk all the way to the end and there hides a hidden garden, untouched by anyone not taking a class up there. There are some great tables to sit down and get some studying done while being outside in the beautiful December weather.

Hang up the hammock on one of the trees right next to the table and create a cocoon where contemplations, like why going to college ever sounded like a good idea, can fill the head of the anxious college student awaiting finals.

Top Floor of Library

Just walking into this room can make a person’s heart rate shift to fourth gear and cause stress-induced headaches. It’s probably from all the frantic clicking of keys punched on keyboards, slurps from people on their third cup of iced coffee and the scratching of pens on paper stained from the very same coffee. So, when the stress gets to be too much is there any relief by escaping into a twenty-minute coma? Of course there is.

Find the soft cushioned chairs that are toward the windows that overlook Caf Lane and the ocean. Now grab a backpack because they make for a pretty average pillow. Find another chair and push it against the first so there is a crib-like aesthetic going. Crawl into that crib, curl up into a little ball and sleep.

The Young Lawn

After cramming in hours of anatomy, chemistry, biology and/or journalism homework, while simultaneously being crammed in one of those tiny booths, some fresh air time is needed. Why not also incorporate a nap in there and save some time?

Open up those glass doors and feel the grass in between those barefoot toes. Look to the right and see that lovely ocean and smell the salty air as a gentle breeze brushes through….wow, this place is too relaxing not to take a nap.

Protip: bring a blanket, as well as pillow, so the grass doesn’t cause an unwanted rash. Also, headphones are great if some loud whippersnappers are playing SlamBall in the middle of this time of meditation and rest.