You know the feeling of motivation brought upon on Sundays by a mix of academic guilt and boredom? One moment you’re a slump of a human being: slouched on your bed, three hours deep into Netflix with your hand in a box of cheez-it’s. Then suddenly you’re out the door in frenzy, lugging your backpack behind you, starting a trek to the library to attempt fitting a weekend’s worth of homework in one afternoon. Well, it just so happens that every other student in your university is doing the same exact thing. Here are the five stages of trying to find a seat at the library.
1. Ready
You decide to stop by Starbucks for a shot of caffeine that will –hopefully- boost the amount of cramming you are to soon undertake and maybe even pick up an overpriced pastry because why not? You’re in for a rude awakening when the out-the-door line is visible before even entering the library. You pursue anyways, passing time by mentally going through the mile long list of things to do once you’re actually in the library.
2. Okay, now I’m ready
Twenty minutes later, you’re heading up to the first floor- bagel and coffee in hand- a little less cheerful, but nonetheless ready to get your studying done. You arrive on the first floor only to realize everyone you know is also at the library! Your past tinder dates, random classmates, friends and friends of friends are all positioned at literally every corner you turn: it’s almost like karma is playing a trick on you for procrastinating. In an attempt to escape the reunion occurring on the first floor, you hurry up the stairs to the next floor; besides, there were no available seats anyways.
3. Panicking
The endless rounds made on this floor are just as disappointing: the only sound is that of your footsteps circling again and again in hopes off finding a place to sit. You only linger long enough to debate whether you could squeeze into a space of 15 inches between two students, only to realize you cannot and continue onward. You’ve been walking for so long you now realize the beads of sweat starting to form on your forehead, and the tables of sticker-covered laptops are all spinning. In a panic you climb a floor higher.
4. The Unknown
The only frequenters of the top floors of the library are grad students and honors kids, however it is truly your last resort. You repeatedly tell yourself that no one even goes to the top floors, right? Wrong. A student occupies every booth, table, and empty space of the floor hard at work, with a can of Redbull besides him or her. They don’t seem to breathe or blink, but that perception could very well be brought upon by the past 30 minutes of speed walking through the library.
5. Giving Up
Your coffee is now cold, the bagel you previously purchased is hard and deformed due to being clenched for so long and if any other student glares at you as though your quest for a seat interrupted their studying, you might just scream. The journey downstairs is pitiful: with every floor left behind is the possibility of a productive day. You wipe the sweat off your forehead, wave a defeated goodbye to the posse on the first floor, and leave ready to do it all over again at the science library.
