Daylight Work
Damn there are a lot of people here. A walk to early morning classes reminds me of an amusement park without rides. As I weave through the maze, schoolwork floods through my head. Homework, upcoming tests and papers, followed by the ever-popular thought- how the hell am I going to get all of this done? As I stumble through the crowd I have a small feeling of loneliness and wonder what I have gotten myself into.
I’ve always taken school seriously and am no stranger to stressing about good grades. Starting college I realized it could very well be more difficult than high school. I was eager to find a calm place to study and finish my homework. College freshman tend to get flack for disregarding work and just slide by. I’ll be the first to say we work hard, most of the time. My first attempt to study was in a Harry Potter looking room in the upstairs of a library. As the room was extremely quiet and beautiful, it was missing something. After a morning of working in solitude I knew I needed to find a change. This is when I discovered another room — the Daylight Lounge.
As I continue my walk through the masses, the crowd fades out I come up to my destination, the grand ol’ Library. I walk in the building near the sky bridge. It’s interesting how every library building has the same feel to it. It’s not quite depressing but it’s sure not the same atmosphere as outside. Libraries can have a dangerous tendency to become uninviting. I feel uninvited as the wave of stress hits me again. Entering the lounge I get a new emotion that is as unexpected as welcomed.
As I enter the room, sunlight shines through the huge glass framed windows; cups of coffee fill the air with a warm aroma. Surrounding are tables and chairs of all sizes to fit a large amount of people in a small place. Magazines line a wall near comfortable chairs completing a lounge like feel. The wood furniture shines as the sun flows through the room. A downside of the glass windows is that a big aspect of the room relies on the weather outside. This makes for a more depressing mood on raining days. In contrast when it’s raining on campus there isn’t a building that’s not getting wet.
Walking in, people don’t make much of a fuss, a head nod here or there, but there isn’t much conversation between students. Sitting down I open my backpack and toss out my math homework. I start to scribble out some unwanted problems when I notice something about this room. It’s filled with people. No words are being said but I still feel a sense of belonging. Then it hits me. Everyone looks different but have one thing in common. They are here to work and they all are working.
Coming to this realization I’m blown away by the motivation I have to finish my homework. The daylight lounge already is an incredible place to study, with natural lighting and limited noise volume, though the addition of a dozen other people working hard to accomplish their individual goals makes the atmosphere unbelievably uplifting. What the lounge succeeds at is creating a welcoming atmosphere where working is the top priority, ultimately a perfect place to finish your own homework.
I do not feel alone as I did when braving the stampede of students. I do not feel bewildered as I did when a hundred math problems were assigned. I know that I can accomplish these things because I am not the only one who is working hard. The daylight lounge proves that large amounts of homework can be accomplished and will be accomplished. So if you need to check of items in your planner and are beginning to feel overwhelmed, remember campuses can be communities and you aren’t alone. Meanwhile I’ll be in the daylight lounge, working.
~Zachary Horrocks~
