Pei Qi Yang sat at a secluded computer in the Glenn G. Bartle Library Pods Tuesday evening as she put the finishing touches on her history and psychology final papers. Everything she needed was laid out on her desk: two empty teas from Jazzman’s, a box of crackers, lip balm, hand lotion and a bag of chocolates.
“I’m here all the time,” said Yang, a senior majoring in integrative neuroscience. “I guess it’s just the thought of being in a library that pushes you to do work and that’s why I always come back here. My dorm gets distracting more easily. It’s almost like your bed is screaming your name. You want to jump in and be comfortable.”
As finals approach, many students like Yang go to the library to study, do work or escape the dorms. However, as Yang attests, sometimes sacrificing sleep for a better grade is detrimental in the long run.
Yang said she does not spend the night at Bartle like some of her fellow Binghamton University students. She said she learned that lesson three years ago as a freshman, when spending two nights studying for finals in Bartle with friends resulted in her doing poorly on her finals that semester.
“What we did not incorporate into the equation is how stupid you become after certain hours and how sleep deprivation can really mess up your brain,” Yang said. “I had a panic attack because I hadn’t slept in two days. I freaked out and I bombed all my finals and I never did that again.”
While Yang said that she now tries to pace herself while studying and avoid all-nighters at Bartle, other students still believe sleeping over at Bartle is the best way to avoid distractions and prepare for finals.
Pawan Marfatia, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said he estimates that he will spend the rest of the week in Bartle, including two all-nighters the weekend before finals.
“I’m in Bartle 24/7,” Marfatia said. “It’s easier than going home. I live in Susquehanna, so I’d rather not walk in the cold.”
This is not the first semester Marfatia has spent the night in Bartle. He said that during one finals week freshman year, he spent two whole nights at Bartle between his calculus and chemistry finals.
“I first slept on this floor on the side with the couches and I then went up to the fourth floor in one of the corner group rooms,” Marfatia said. “Honestly, I don’t remember how I did on the final but I got an A in the class.”
Jaime Lau, a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, said that she slept at a desk in Bartle during finals week last year. She said it was not the best sleep, but it was her only option.
“It was hard,” Lau said. “First of all, it’s not your own bed — you’re never going to fall into a really deep sleep, but at the same time it’s finals week, so you do what you can to get sleep.”
Although Lau said that sleeping in Bartle did not make much of a difference for her, she said that the number of people at the library shows BU students are serious about their grades.
“I tend to stay here late and especially during finals week, everyone’s just sleeping everywhere,” Lau said. “I think it’s a good reflection, it shows that people are willing to do what it takes to get what they want.”
Kahlil Stultz, a senior majoring in history, agreed with Lau, adding that the sacrifice is worth it in the long run.
“You might as well get a good grade,” Stultz said. “Lose a little sleep so you can enjoy your summer and not have to take the class over again.”