Finals are coming up next week, and with them come the crowds at Bartle. However, this finals week doesn’t have to be as brutal as all the ones before it. The Pipe Dream Editorial Board has come up with a number of suggestions to expand student access to libraries and campus spaces, while promoting safety for students living off-campus.

Every semester, our University faces space issues with the amount of students studying in the library. Though Bartle is large, it is not large enough to accommodate the number of students who go there during finals week — particularly those who wish to study through the night. In recent years, the University has opened up rooms within the Union and Fine Arts for students and groups to reserve and study in. But with the growing size of the student body, the University needs to open up more of its academic spaces, especially during finals week.

There are more than just classrooms that the University can open for students who need to study. While Bartle is open 24 hours a day during finals week, the Science Library should follow these hours as well. Residence hall libraries, such as College-in-the-Woods and Hinman College, could also offer benefits with extended hours throughout the night — if not 24 hours, at least to match weekend Nite Owl hours. It would allow students to not have to walk as far in the cold and stem the congregation of students in the library. Students can stay local to their housing community, and help offset overcrowding during the study rush.

Students off-campus need a place to study, too. The Downtown Center is a great resource with renovated classrooms and Pods printing, and would be an asset to have open 24 hours during finals week as well. However, if this is not possible, it is the Student Association’s responsibility to make sure that there is an OCCT bus line running throughout the night. Off-campus students should not have to choose between closing their books to catch the last bus of the night or staying in the library for the entire night until buses start up again. Service doesn’t need to be entirely comprehensive — an hourly West Side bus would provide the necessary support.

Students who are driving to campus during finals week know that the rules of parking lots do not change and at midnight they are forced to move their cars to an overnight lot. During finals week, parking rules need to follow weekend regulations to make it easier for students to keep their spots while following unpredictable work schedules.

And for those who are tackling late study sessions or all-nighters, it can be impossible to find food, drinks or coffee outside of the vending machines in the library basement. While DeStress December coffee freebies are appreciated, it would be much more beneficial for coffee to be made available after hours in the library than around dinner time in the dining halls. Coffee dispensers will provide students who might otherwise turn to study drugs with a healthier way to stay awake.

Finals week is an overwhelming time for most students. These steps and logistical adjustments can alleviate the congestion of students on campus and make it easier for many to have safe, academic spaces to study as they finish off the semester.