I know it may seem crazy, but the Willy T. Young Library is my favorite place on UK's campus. Last year, I constantly referred to it as my second dorm and the place I spent the most time. For many students, the library is one of the worst places you could be at any given moment. Yes, that means you're actually studying -- shocking, I know. However, for me, the library has been the place where I have made many memories.
The library is the place where I bonded with my friends the most. Those nights when we all have papers due, we all head over together to get Starbucks and find an empty table, and then we spend the rest of the time just laughing and, typically, distracting each other from our assignments. But my friends don't always distract me. In fact, sometime they're my best study tool. They'll quiz me and make sure I have everything memorized before a big exam or they'll proof read a paper. Plus, I think studying with other people just makes it more fun.
The library is also a place where I run into people I haven't seen in a long time. It gives me a chance to catch up with them quickly, but then continue on my way. If you haven't picked up on this yet, the library is very much a social event.
The library is also a place where I make new discoveries. While running back through lecture notes and trying plenty of practice problems, sometimes I finally figure out how to get the right answer. In those moments, I feel like Albert Einstein, and all I want to do is run a victory lap.
The library is the place where all my stress hits me the hardest. I'll find myself just staring at my planner and freaking out because I don't know where to start or what to study first. Although I don't want to admit it, I have cried in the library just from stress. But the library is also the place where I find solutions to problems I've never understood before, and figure out new ways to memorize information. It's the place where I turn my stress into success.
I often get texts that say, "Are you at the library?" for one of two reasons. One, people realize I'm always at the library, and it's practically where I live. And two, someone heard me laugh really loudly and they are wondering where I'm sitting. Regardless, Willy T is where I dwell and learn, but also where I laugh and cry. And I couldn't imagine my college experience without it.
