Why study? Come to the late-night library mixer!
COMMENTARY
Lauren Cates

Whoever told me that college was a four-year paid vacation obviously never had to take a midterm. Actually, make that five midterms all in an eight-day period. They probably never tried to study in the Mary Couts Burnett Library either.

I think the history of midterms originated with a secret evil organization for professors in which different ways to terrorize college students were devised (think Austin Powers). Their ultimate form of torture is embodied in midterms, a period of two weeks in which every professor gives as many tests and projects due as are possible.

There are no dead days for these evil exams. There is not even a decent place to study, as library social hours draws more people than two kegs and a margarita machine.

After spending the past week in the library, I have come to several conclusions. The first and most important point being that the library is really not a library at all. It more closely resembles a party. You may be shocked, but the reality of the situation is very grave as the impending doom of midterms is in the very near future.

I estimate that the ratio of the number of hours spent studying to the number of hours spend socializing in the library is approximately 1:1. If you stay in the library for three hours, you’ve socialized for half the time, almost equivalent to the length of your stay at a party.

You might argue that at parties there is usually drug abuse of some sort (i.e. alcohol, etc.). Have you ever noticed how many people are on Aderol in the library? You can usually tell by those disheveled individuals frantically flipping through pages of notes or those who have six or seven stacks of papers all neatly ordered, alphabetized and color coordinated in front of them.

The library is no quieter than a party either. In the morning, the ever-helpful janitorial staff is vacuuming. You can always catch a library tour tramping its way through as well. I’m sure prospective students feel welcomed when everyone in the room wants them to shut up. In the afternoons the classical music is there to enhance our studying experience. At night socialization is at its peak as groups of giggling women fail to realize the necessity of obtaining a GPA above a 1.0, if you’re not pursuing the Mrs. degree.

All these forces are combined to make midterms as disastrous as possible. Some may say that the trauma of it all is balanced by that wonderful 24 hours we have off , otherwise known as Fall Break. This break is nonexistent if, like me, you have three tests scheduled for the next week.

Others think that studying at home or in your residence hall room is the answer. Those individuals obviously don’t have cable television or friends. And the most responsible of us will stress the value of preparation and keeping on top of your work so that you will be prepared at all times for tests in all classes. Those individuals are probably living at home with their mothers.

We will make vows after midterm grades are received to be better prepared and to make better grades. We will later acknowledge those vows to be worthless. Ultimately, we will all live through midterms to face the most fun and exciting event of our semesters: finals.

Opinion editor Lauren Cates is a junior advertising/public relations major from Houston.