Burnin' The Midnight Oil: Late Night Studiers At Stanford
This entry is part of an assignment called the "Stanford Cultures Project" for a sophomore writing course, Cultural Interfaces, at Stanford University. To learn more about the assignment, read this blogpost
Your watch strikes 12:00 AM, and you still have half a paper and a problem set to finish. Just as you get settled into your desk, put the buds in your ears, and open up the word processor--"Hey - I think I'm gonna go to sleep." But the real message is what your roommate didn't say: "You can't study in here now. Go to Meyer or something."
The good news is that you're in good company. Between extracurricular activities, attending classes, and fountain hopping, most Stanford students do not have much time for work during the day. Many save their papers, problem sets and studying for the last minute - and even those who do not have late nights. A Stanford sophomore studying engineering says: "I haven't had time all day to study and I need to get this [problem set] done. It's not really due, but I don't really have time to do it tomorrow either. I might as well do it now, get it out of the way and not have to worry about it."
The bad news is that, in the wee hours of the night, available study spaces are scarce. Most buildings around campus are closed by ten, and their neighboring coffee shops even earlier. In fact, before 2008-2009, even most libraries were closed by midnight. It wasn't until a survey revealed that 83.4% of undergrads were "unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the current past-midnight study spaces" that the school administration extended weeknight hours at Green Library, one of Stanford's largest libraries.
Before this policy change, students were generally funneled to a smaller library, Meyer, for their late-night studying needs. Open 24 hours a day, it will probably remain the late night studier's haven this academic year. Most wouldn't say the all-night study room has any charm, but a distinct character has definitely emerged over the years. The Meyer sub-culture has been described as "all-business": a place where you can't work and sneeze at the same time. The productivity that goes on under Meyer's tawny roof at night is clear to anyone who walks in the next morning. Papers, staples, and empty energy drink cans litter the tables, and you'll find the occasional grad student still asleep in a plush chair.
Meyer's study rooms are fairly spacious, but it obviously couldn't accommodate every late night studier. So where else do students go?
Their rooms, mainly. We suspect that even more people would stay home if everyone at Stanford had single rooms. Generally, though, they will have roommates to reconcile schedules with; a lot of times, this means working under dim desk lamps (or under no light at all), minimizing paper rustling and refraining from typing furiously when a great idea comes.
One student commiserates: "If your roommate is a night owl, studying late is pretty simple. But if he goes to sleep early and is easily disturbed, burning the midnight oil is a little harder. My roommate this year is fine with my desk light, but last year was another story: I had to go to Meyer when my roommate went to sleep."
What if late night studiers want the comfort of their own room but want to avoid the all-business character of Meyer?
There are options. Stanford recently renovated Old Union, a student space open to the public until 2AM. With comfortable couches and an eatery, students can study and relax at the same time. Green Library, too, is open until 2AM, if students desire a more studious and quiet environment.
At Stanford, late night studiers are abound; no matter what your studying style or studying hours, there's a place on campus for you.
Comments
I greatly enjoyed reading this entry! It covers many aspects of the "late-night studying" culture at Stanford in terms of anecdotes, logistical facts and dates, and well-placed pictures. Starting with the 2nd person narrative style not only includes your audience, but makes them the center of your persuasive argument. It is an interesting approach followed by informative logos appeal in the chronological history of study spaces. Maybe I just think Meyer is an ugly place, but some pictures of Old Union or Green could have added variety. But overall, great job!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 6, 2008 01:00 AM
Quite an interesting topic, I must say. I was impressed with the extra research done as well, such as the information with policy changes, and a few statistics. This blog takes the onus off of many students in my situation, and places it on circumstances. For example, a student might be up all night working on an essay, or problem set, because it is the only time available to work, regardless of the due date. Students here, I'm finding, are involved with much more than academics, all activities time consuming. Often times, a student may not intend to be a nocturnal studier, but work can and often will take longer than expected. I also did not know about Stanford's recognization of late night studiers. Overall, informative and inclusive (of students) article.
Posted by: Eric Wishom | October 6, 2008 04:47 PM
I am glad that a group chose to write on this topic for the Stanford Culture Project--I feel like almost every student at Stanford can identify as a late-night studier and hence this blog post highlights a unique dimension of student life. From the easily-disturbed roommate to the comfortable plush chairs at Meyer library, reading this I was like yes that is right...I know exactly what they are talking about. The integration of logos further reinforced some general numbers I had speculated on in the past but never had time to actually research. For such reasons the blog was overall well written and informative, informative in a sense that a typical Stanford student would easily be able to relate to the late-night subculture discussed in the post.
Posted by: Carlos Arellano | October 6, 2008 05:44 PM
I thought this was an awesome posts to read not only because of the obvious background research and informative facts, but because it has such colorful and comedic language that makes it interesting to read! These days most posts seem to be someone rambling about problems, concerns, etc. but this one had a large pathos appeal as many Stanford students can relate to working late into the night. I liked the combination of statistics paired with phrases like "where you can't work and sneeze at the same time" and thought this group did a great job in highlighting the subculture of late night studiers at Stanford. The pictures only added - they definitely captured the ambiance of late night Meyer Library.
Posted by: Allison McCann | October 6, 2008 08:09 PM
The title introduction definitely sucked me into this post--what a great and appropriately short narrative. It was nice to see such a group analyzed as a "subculture," but I am still wondering if they have anything in common aside from their work times (GPA, extracurriculars, etc.), but I'm sure that would take a bit more research. The statistic about library hours was used effectively for logos, and the diction was also precise and lively. Great job.
Posted by: Ben Halpern | October 6, 2008 09:27 PM
This was an interesting article to read and kept my attention the entire time. I liked how it opened with the what the roommate really meant when they were saying," Hey- i think im gonna go to sleep." The part where it talked about undergrads being unsatisfied with their late night study options was a good piece of information to show how Stanford has now tried to adjust and accommodate people who stuy late at night. It was cool to read this article because out of football season, i definitely qualify as a late night studier. The most impressive thing about this article was the amount of quotes and research that went into it.
Posted by: thomas keiser | October 6, 2008 09:33 PM
I really liked this topic.I got an idea of a lot of places in stanford and the changing rules of the university. The blog, also, provided me with a lot of information about how a student at stanford organises his daily life. In addition,i have understood from what is written that the life of students at stanford is not only composed of lessons and lecturs, but, it is full of activities.And now, i want to know more about the sorts of activities and projects done by students during the morning.
Posted by: Marina Amin | October 8, 2008 02:48 PM
I enjoyed reading your blog.
Keep writing!
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Nice site you have!
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Posted by: Kasen | August 19, 2009 02:17 PM
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