While a lot of students like to spend Saturdays sleeping in, hanging out in their dorms and catching up with friends or binge watching entire seasons of whatever show their roommate claims to be the greatest show ever, some use the time to catch-up on their school work. And for some, it’s the only time they have.
Senior nursing major Jason Dobrovolny said that studying is something he can’t escape, and that visiting the Glickman Library is the only way he can get all of his work finished. With three weekly lectures and eight hours spent completing clinical studies, on top of the regular homework assignments, exams and papers, the quiet weekend mornings Dobrovolny spends in the library are the only way he can keep from being distracted.
“Most of my success here is because of the library,” said Dobrovolny. “This is one of the only places I can escape from distractions completely.”
Dobrovolny works in the afternoons on the weekend, so he gets in as soon as the library opens in the morning.
“With nursing, you’re going to have people’s lives in your hands, so you really have to take your studies seriously,” said Dobrovolny. “Usually I get together with a few classmates and we’re in one of the study rooms for hours.”
“This is where I can get away from home and actually sit down and focus,” said Jim Ewing, a non-traditional student majoring in mechanical engineering. “It’s a lot more free here during the weekend.”
Ewing is a part-time student and works as an engineer at a rope company when he’s not on campus, so finding free time to study is sometimes a task.
There are fewer classes over the weekend, so library resources and spaces are more available.
“It’s never completely dead in here,“ said library assistant Kate Herbert, “but it is a lot quieter every weekend.”
“I feel like the people who come in on Saturdays and Sundays stay a lot longer,” said senior geography-anthropology major Ani St. Amand, who is a work-study student at Glickman Library. “People actually sit down and are able to study, instead of during the week when students just come in between their classes.”
For some, down-time at the end of the week is the only time they have to meet up with classmates to study together. With conflicting class schedules and part-time jobs, it can be hard to find time to get together, said sophomore biology major Jenna Boyer.
“The week days are just so hectic,” said Boyer. “Yes, I get to see everyone in class, but we barely have time to go over everything. If I’m lucky I’ll run into someone while I’m grabbing coffee, and we can chat for a minute.
Luckily, we all have time on Saturday to get together and find our own little corner of the library to study in.”
According to freshman history major Jeffrey Hill, Glickman Library is one of the only spots in the area where people can actually focus on studying.
“I have a lot of friends who try to hole up in their rooms or in coffee shops, but they always seem to have trouble with it,” said Hill. “You think you’re in the zone until five people start chatting with you on Facebook or a shop gets really busy and suddenly you’re packed in at your table.”
Hill lives in Portland and used to go to the Portland Public Library to do a lot of his school work, but found being on-campus to be a better alternative.
“The public library was fine until one day this woman sitting nearby was hollering and complaining about the library staff because they couldn’t find a book for her,” said Hill. “When you’re on campus, everyone is on the same page, especially over the weekend. You’re not going to get distracted because everyone has their head buried in a book.”
Public Library is a very good hangout for students instead of hanging
out in their dorms. Although we understand that students do need to also
develop their social lives but as a student, they must know the thing
that needs to be first prioritize.