Dear Harvard: Why Is There Nowhere to Study On Your 5,000 Acre Campus?

This is my (in)formal petition that Harvard needs to create more ~study~ spaces on campus because at this point I can name more not-so-secret-secret-societies than locations to pull an all nighter grind out a paper at this school.

You may be asking, “What’s so bad about current study spots?”

Cabot Library

No matter what time of day it is you’ll hear freshmen yelling over their overdue psets while complaining about how Cabot is *freezing*. As an upperclassman, I may look like a freshman but there is no way I’m risking catching the freshmen plague to study at this disruptive, crowded space filled with wide-eyed 18 year-olds who are pulling consecutive all-nighters.

Lamont Library

Lamont is truly what I imagine the concept of depression to be in architectural form. When I come there I end up staring at a yellow wall, instead of doing my neuroscience pset. Something about Lamont makes me want to ponder the concept of human existence, have my mid-life crisis at the ripe age of 19, and fall into a deep sleep all at the same time.

Widener Library

Whenever doing anything at Widener, I feel like I’m an undercover spy under constant surveillance. It feels like all eyes are on me every minute I spend there. Pulling out a chair makes this loud scratchy nose that breaks the utter silence that was once in place, and you have distracted *everyone*. On that note, I promise you I spent more time checking if my airpods are connected than studying at Widener because I don’t want any more attention from these people than I have already suffered from. Hot take: this famous library definitely has more use as a photoshoot location than as a proper study location.

Smith Campus Center

I come here to romanticize my studying but then I simply fall ~asleep~ in the comfy tenth floor chairs along with everyone else up there. I swear it’s something about those chairs.

Dining Halls

Here me out: I love people, but the dhall is too people-y. Please don’t come talk to me when I am ~gracefully~ trying to finish a p-set due in one hour.

House Libraries

A glorified, pretty room with desks and chairs, who wouldn’t come here to study? If I wanted to study in a crowded little room, I may have more luck doing so in a tiny hallway double. Seeing the same sad people with the same deadened look in their eyes doesn’t exactly do wonders for the typical studious student.

I’m manifesting more study spaces for you and your friends, so you have one less excuse to procrastinate on that p-set. We’re in this together <3.