Junior economics major Ali Barnett, left, and senior accounting major Ashley McLeod study in the Mezzanine above the third floor of the
J.D. Williams Library Wednesday. Photo: Austin McAfee, The Daily Mississippian
For the freshmen, it’s your first dip into the chaos that is college finals. For the upperclassmen it’s the time of year where you find yourself frantically trying to study and wrap up projects that you should have been working on all semester long. I’m going to give you a little rundown on the things that I’ve learned through three and a half years of finals, procrastination and crippling stress.
Location: The most important part of the finals season is establishing where exactly you plan on setting up base. Many people rarely explore past the second floor of the J.D. Williams Library before getting fed up with the lack of desks and tables. It’s a frustrating feeling when you desperately need a quiet place to study and there isn’t a spot to be found. Here are a few of the hidden gems I’ve found in my time at Ole Miss.
1. The “in-between” floors of J.D. Williams – The Mezzanine area are rooms that are positioned in between the second and third floors of the library. It’s found up a secluded staircase near Starbucks. It can be tricky to find, but just ask the friendly staff at J.D. Williams for the Mezzanine, and they will point you in the right direction.
2. Weir Hall – The high tech computer lab at Ole Miss is one of the most quiet places to study on campus. Along with the computer lab, there are study rooms that can be reserved if you and your friends need a place to brainstorm and work on projects.
3. The Law Library – This is a recent discovery that has changed my ideas about where to study on campus. As of Nov. 19, the general student population has access to the Grisham Law library from 7:30 a.m to 7:30 p.m.
4. Studying at home – If you live on campus, this is less of an option, but for upperclassmen it can be much more effective. Senior geological engineering major Matt Mueller said, “I study at my kitchen table so I can spread out all of my notes, old tests and maps. Plus multiple people can gather around it.” Many residential areas like Campus Creek, the Retreat and Highland Square have study rooms included in the amenities.
Sustenance: One of the most important things to remember while studying is that your body needs fuel. Here are my favorite spots to refill and load my body up with ungodly amounts of caffeine.
1. Starbucks – This is clearly the most obvious choice in regards to convenience. However, you need to watch out because everyone knows that if you go at the wrong time, you are doomed to spend a half an hour waiting for your Caramel Macchiato.
2. Einstein Bros Bagels – If you are on campus during the day, there is little better choice for food and coffee than the little shop in Anderson Hall. From pizza bagels to black coffee, Einstein’s will keep you going.
3. Barnes & Noble in the Union- Some people forget about the cafe located in the Barnes & Noble bookstore located in the Student Union. While it’s not an option for those late-night study sessions, it’s a great place for daytime caffeine.
Productivity: As an admitted procrastinator, I’ve been the guy working frantically at the last minute to get stuff done. Here are a couple programs I’ve used to combat my productivity issues.
1. Self Control – Since I have very little of it myself, I use this nifty little computer program that restricts your internet use. Add the sites you waste the most time on, set the timer to the amount of time you need to study, and the program completely blocks them from your computer. No resets, restarts or shutdowns will bring the websites back until the timer hits zero.
2. White Noise – This Google Chrome add-on provides you with soothing white noise to block out the distractions that accompany studying in a bustling place like the library. It will surprise you how much more effective white noise is for concentration than the music you normally listen to.
3. Written? Kitten! – This one’s for fun and productivity. For every academic goal you hit (like finishing a newspaper article) this program rewards you with an adorable kitten that it pulls from Flickr. It may not be the most useful tool, but a little light-hearted reward never did anyone any harm.
So there you have it, my finals survival tips. I’m sure there are many tips I’ve left out, many I haven’t learned yet and many that I procrastinate too much to use. These are just a few things this burnt-out senior has learned in his time on campus.
— Michael Prestwich
maprestw@go.olemiss.edu
