The Final(s) Manifesto

With Dooley's Week behind us, finals season now descends upon the Emory student body like the veil of unwelcomed neon-colored pollen perpetually descending upon the hood of my car. As I begin to procrastinate studying, I reminisce of the many manifestos that I published this semester and question why I decided to begin this bi-weekly "manifesto" publication in the first place. While my articles were almost entirely written in the first person, my initial goal, as stated in "The Farmer's Market Manifesto," was to publish a declaration of intentions (and suggestions) that if acted upon, would allow any Emory student to seek out and live their Emory experiences to the fullest potential. However, only in reflection did I recognize what my true goal of these manifestos was: I wanted to make you, the reader, cognizant of the fact that your Emory identity makes you unique. With an overbearing workload and endless extracurricular involvement, it becomes easy to overlook how lucky we are to be in attendance at Emory University. That being said, always remember that you are unique because you are an Emory student. Your Emory experience is unlike any other college experience, and I encourage you to make your own manifesto, a bucket list, or a way to commemorate the culture of this university and live your Emory experience to the fullest potential. With that said and done, I am ready to deliver to you The Final(s) Manifesto. Around this time of year, Woodruff Library tends to reach maximum capacity, as the student body makes their pilgrimage to occupy every available seat from the ground floor to stacks 7. However, what students might not realize is that there are many alternative study spots around campus besides the university library. For this reason, I have published not a manifesto, but a list of some notable locations to study around campus excluding the university library and the Matheson Reading Room. 1. Located behind the spiral staircase entrance to the DUC is Eagle's Landing, one of the most underrated and underutilized study locations on campus. Grab an ice coffee from Dunkin Donuts and post up at one of the many tables offered in Eagle's Landing with some study buddies. The atmosphere quiets down the minute that the DUC closes. If you can withstand the noise until then, this location is the ideal study spot. Just remember that it closes at 12 a.m. 2. Did you know that the Michael C. Carlos Museum is the largest southeastern university museum in the United States? More importantly, did you know that there is quiet (but limited) study space located directly in front of the no longer operating Café Antico? Calm your nerves by surrounding yourself with some world history before you begin tackling your studies in this hot study spot. 3. Pitts Theology Library is the third largest theology library in the United States and one of the most magnificent libraries on campus. While Pitts only operates from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., this library is still a certainly desirable location to absorb some textbook knowledge or flesh out a lengthy paper during the daytime. 4. Cross the bridge away from Longstreet Means, and you will discover the hidden gem of study locations on campus: Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library (aka The Bio Library). Unknown to the majority of the university community, Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library contains an atmosphere similar to that of the Matheson Reading Room and offers 24-hour study hours during exam week beginning April 27. 5. Did you know that the classroom that you used to have that one class in during that specific time frame is no longer occupied (for the most part) during that time? Ebb on the side of caution, but chances are you can enter that classroom and work for hours on end with the right timing. 6. You can help stimulate the economy of the Starbucks in the Oxford Road Building by purchasing for favorite chilled coffee beverage, but don't anticipate finding a seat during finals week. That being said, most students tend to overlook the Starbucks located in Emory Village, a mere stroll down the street from the on campus Starbucks. Grab yourself a Frappuccino and knock out that 10-page paper on that one subject you plan on teaching yourself the night before the paper is due. 7. Your bedroom is one of the best places to study on campus. Work at your desk. Write in your bed. Read on your floor. Negotiate some study time in your room with your roommate in order to capitalize on your personal territory in order to mix work with relaxation. Live your Emory experience to its fullest potential by taking advantage of these study locations on campus. Take some deep breaths, and don't forget to take some study breaks. You are going to do just fine.

–By Casey Horowitz

Photo courtesy of Flickr/Activision