10B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 31, 2005
The Michigan I
Randoms willing to apply lotior
Students seek out ideal study locations
By Doug Wemert
Daily Weekend Editor
By Amanda Shapin
Daily Arts Writer
When it comes time for finals,
all some students want to do is find
a quiet, secluded area to study and
focus. Others may crave a lively
environment where they can openly
discuss readings and homework with
classmates. Still others might need
to have constant caffeine available to
stay awake through the long review
sheets and never-ending chapters.
Truly, whatever you are looking for,
the University offers numerous plac-
es to study and can acconimodate any
type of student.
Coffee shops
For those looking to venture
beyond the library scene, Ann Arbor
has many coffee shops perfect for
getting work done. Two Starbucks
and two Espresso Royale coffee
shops, one of each on South Univer-
sity Avenue and State Street, offer
snacks and drinks to help you keep
your focus.
"Libraries are too quiet for me.
I work much better when there are
things going on around me. I like
doing work at Starbucks because
it has a really nice atmosphere,"
said LSA and Music junior Jessica
Sachs.
Geoffrey Silverstein, a junior in
the School of Art and Design, agrees
with Sachs.
"I'm a real fan of working at cof-
fee shops. They're civil, but I can't
concentrate in really quiet spots like
libraries. Plus I can fuel caffeine
needs all night," he said.
Coffee shops are also perfect for
"I find that I am less
likely to cut my
study time short if
I take the effort to
go somewhere."
- Geoffrey Silverstein
Art and Design junior
meeting with professors or GSIs to
go over last minute notes and linger-
ing questions.
For students with cars; Silverstein
recommends moving further away
from campus to get stuff done.
"I go to Panera Bread Co. (down
Washtenaw Avenue) or a book store.
They aren't as crowded, and I find
that I am less likely to cut my study
time short if I take the effort to go
somewhere," Silverstein said.
Staying inside
Sometimes just the thought of
leaving your dorm room is enough
to make you give up on the idea
of actually getting work done. For
those comfortable in their own
dwellings, each dorm offers great
study and common rooms open 24
hours a day.
"Each study room has a different
atmosphere. Some are very homey,
and South Quad has one that looks
like a diner, which is better for
group studies, while others are bet-
ter foi individual study," said LSA
sophomore Peter Hasiakos, a regular
Random: Hello?
The Michigan Daily: Hi, is Kather-
ine there?
R: Yes.
TMD: Hi, I'm calling from The Mich-
igan Daily and you've been selected to do
this week's Random Student Interview.
R: OK ...
TMD: Do you want to do it?
R: OK, sure.
TMD: First question: What did you
do this weekend?
R: Well, on Friday, I went salsa danc-
ing, and on Saturday, I went home, and
on Sunday, I spent Easter with my fam-
ily.
TMD: Very cool. That's what I like
to hear. Did you have an Easter ham or
something like that?
R: No, I don't like ham, but my grand-
parents ate some ham. We had pierogies
because we're Polish.
TMD: Cool. Did they make any ham
related jokes like "I'm going to pig out"
or "I'm bacon you not to eat more?"
R: No.
TMD: Why not?
R: Haha, is this a joke or is this a real
survey?
TMD: This is a real survey. If you've
ever read the Random Student Interviews
of the past, this is the norm.
R: I'm sorry, I'm just a freshman,
but I am actually very interested in The
Michigan Daily because I wanna maybe
participate some time ... but anyway, no,
theyadid not make any jokes like that.
TMD: OK, fair enough. Are you a fan
of guys who wear cowboy hats?
R: No.
TMD: Why not?
R: Because I don't like cowboys.
TMD: What's wrong with cowboys?
R: I don't like the whole image of
them.
TMD: What about the sombrero that
you get at Chi-Chi's? Do you like those?
R: Only if they're real Mexicans. I
don't like when white people wear them.
TMD: Oh, very astute, I guess. Did
you watch "Sister Act 2" this weekend?
R: No, I did not.
TMD: Man, it was on twice, you
should have caught it.
R: Well, I don't have a TV.
TMD: You mean like in your life or
here?
R: Here. We have one at home.
TMD: So why didn't you watch "Sis-
ter Act 2?"
R: Hahaha, because I didn't watch any
TV.
TMD: Well, it's a shame. It's a good
movie. What do you think about this
weather today?
R: It's very nice.
TMD: OK. Did you notice that the
people walking around outside today
looked a lot hotter than they did a couple
weeks ago?
R: Yeah, everyone looks a lot better. I
definitely agree with you.
TMD: I don't know if you saw me, but
I was getting some whistles.
R: I'm sure you were.
TMD: Did you get any whistles?
R: No, I didn't. It was a quite a shame,
but I guess that's OK.
TMD: Maybe they were dog whistles,
and you couldn't hear it.
R: Haha, maybe.
TMD: OK, will you go to the beach at
all this summer?
R: Well, it depends on if I travel. Do
you mean like ocean beach?
TMD: Yeah.
R: If I travel, yes.
TMD: Has anyone ever asked you to
run suntan lotion on their back?
R: Um ... no.
TMD: Let's say a guy asked you that.
Would you do it?
R: It depends how he asked, I guess,
and what kind of mood I was in.
TMD: How would he have to ask in
order for you to do it?
R: Nicely. He would have to say
please.
TMD: And that's it? And you would
do it?
R: Well, it depends how he looks.
TMD: Oh, so he'd have to be hot?
R: No, but if he was a sleazy old guy, I
don't think I would.
TMD: But why would a sleazy old
guy ask you?
R: Well, because he'd be alone and he
wouldn't have anyone to do it for him,
so I'd assume ... I kind of have to take
a shower now because this is taking a
while. My roommate would actually like
to finish for me, if that's OK.
TMD: Sure, why not?
R: OK, I hope you're having a good
time.
TMD: Oh, I am.
R: Hello?
TMD: Hey, who's this?
R: Kate.
TMD: Hi, Kate. So I guess you're fin-
ishing up the rest of the interview?
R: Sure.
TMD: Why did your roommate
leave?
R: She's going to take a shower.
TMD: I think that's a lie. Why did she
really leave?
R: She's standing in a towel right in
front of me. I'm not lying to you.
TMD: Whoa, OK. Chill out Kate. Is
that your name?
R: Uh, yeah.
TMD: OK, we just asked about the
suntan lotion. Would you ever rub suntan
lotion on someone's back if they asked
you to?
R: Yeah.
TMD: Does it matter who asked you?
Would you do it to everybody?
R: Yeah.
TMD: OK. What's the key to looking
good on the beach?
R: The right cut bathing suit, and the
right tan.
TMD: Well, I don't have a tan. Does
that hurt me?
R: Probably.
TMD: Aww. How much money do
you think I, a writer for The Michigan
Daily, make?
R: I don't know.
TMD: Take a guess.
R: $15 an hour.
TMD: $15 an hour? I'd like to wo
for that newspaper. What do you this
the H stands for in Jesus H. Christ?
R: Haha, I have absolutely no idea.
TMD: Take a guess.
R: Hallelujah.
TMD: Hallelujah? Hahahaha. Tha
really good. What about the T.S. in T.
Eliot?
R: Tight Stuff.
TMD: Tight Stuff Eliot. What a cor
bination that would be. What's a bett
board game: Guess Who or Sorry!?
R: Oh, good question.
TMD: See? I am asking good que
tions.
R: I'd have to say Sorry! becau;
I have memories of playing that gan
totally not sober.
TMD: So you played drunk Sorry!?
R: Yeah.
TMD: Normally, when people a
drunk, they play other games.
R: Well, we were kind of stupid hig
school teenagers.
TMD: If there was a Dailyopoly, ho
much do you think I would sell for?
R: Haha, according to me? Two buck
maybe.
TMD: But the cheapest property :
Monopoly is like 60 bucks.
R: But you're talking about yoursel
right?
TMD: Yeah.
R: Yeah, two bucks.
TMD: Why wouldn't I be worth
little bit more?
R: Because you're a person. You'
not like property or anything.
TMD: But aren't I valuable as
human being?
R: All right, fine. $2.50.
TMD: OK. Is there anything eli
you'd like to add?
R: Not really.
TMD: OK, thanks for doing this an
tell you and your roommate to look fc
this in Weekend.
LSA sophomores Kelly Fitzgerald, Maria Hassan and Will Hathaway study in the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library
on Tuesday.
visitor to the dorm study rooms.
"It's a lot less tense than the
library but since it's in the dorms
it's easy to get distracted. However,
I'm less likely to go to the library
because it's an unnecessary hassle
when I can just go study downstairs,"
he added.
But for students willing to leave the
comfort of their dorms and needing
to get some serious studying done,
there is also the traditional college
study location - the library.
The University offers the Shapiro
Undergraduate Library, which is ideal
for group studying and contains numer-
ous computer rooms open for use. The
Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library has
a large reference room on the second
floor that is open to students.
"One of the good things about
going to the library is it often keeps
you from getting distracted. It's hard
to stay on task in the dorms with TV,
Internet and friends to distract you.
But the one thing that defeats that pur-
pose of going to the library is when
you go there just to see people," LSA
sophomore Robbie O'Brien said.
Students looking for a quieter
study location can head Aver to the
Law Library, located in the Law
Quad on Monroe St. The library,
with its long conference tables and
no talking policy, is an ideal loca-
tion for students who need to study
for a big exam in the morning.
Studying outside
Now that the weather is finally
showing signs of spring, students
can take advantage of the sunlight
and warm weather and study outside.
The Diag and Palmer Field tend to
overflow with sunbathers and stud-
iers alike from early April up until
finals.
"I try to (study outside) because
there's nothing like sunshine to
make studying so much better," said
LSA junior Ylinne Lynch.
Lynch spent yesterday afternoon
sitting on the "Sunday Morning in
Deep Waters" fountain near Burton
Memorial Tower and preparing for a
paper. In cooler weather, she said her
studying spots include the Fishbowl
"late late at night" or the Michigan
Union Underground.
Like Lynch, Kinesiology senior
Tammy Spadafore also took advan-
tage of the warm weather by
bringing her computer to the Diag
yesterday.
"It's nice outside and not cooped
up like inside," Spadafore said.
She added that despite the many
distractions on the Diag, includ-
ing student groups, sunbathers and
frisbee-players, she was able to stay
focused.
"It's actually quite peaceful," she said.
Spadafore, like other students, took
advantage of the wireless Internet
access that is available on the Diag.
"Surprisingly, you have wireless
(on the Diag). I didn't know until I
turned my computer on," she added.
Yet instead of working on her
paper, Spadafore said she ended up
"playing around online."
Whatever your study style is,
Michigan has a variety of options
within walking distance that can
makeany student feel at home. Now
that know you know where to go
study, there's no excuse to be unpre-
pared for finals.
Students
Speak:
With the semester com-
ing to a close and the
stress of final exams
coming up, students are
pondering the ways to do
well on their finals. Here
are what some students
think about classes and
getting ready for finals.
"I take an Adderall and sit
down for a good four hours. I
study differently depending,
on if I am memorizing for an
essay test or a multiple choice
test. If it is a multiple choice
test, I just reread it, but for an
essay test, I structure it ahead
of time."
- David Ross, Kinesiology
sophomore
"Sometimes, you can use
The Facebook and find other
people in your classes. You
message them or get their IM
names and ask them for notes.
It's so easy."
- Haley Shulman, LSA
junior
"I take lecture classes with
friends and then we rotate who
goes. If I can get aabig group
together, I only have to go
once a month and I still get all
the notes."
- Heather Pitofsky, LSA
sophomore
"In discussion, I find a sen-
tence in the reading that is
pretty broad. Then, I fit it into
the conversation and make
it sound like I actually know
what I'm talking about."
- Shelby Semel, LSA sopho-
more
"I listen to what someone
says in class who has done the
reading. Then I either agree or
disagree with what they say. I
give my opinion based on what
my classmates say, not what
the book says."
- Adam Waldman, LSA
sophomore
"If you have a paper due in
24 hours or less, especially i
upper-level classes, you ar
pretty screwed. The only sug
gestions I have is to arm you
self with ample amounts of Re
Bull, and head to the Fishbow
because it is the least socie
place on campus, aside fror
the Media Union."
- Mikel Canete, LSA senio
- Compiled by Daily Art
Writer Emily Fellow
"Libraries are too quiet for me. I work much
better when there are things going on
around me."
-Jessica Sachs
LSA and Music junior
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PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily
LSA sophomore Joe Rosenberg studies on the Diag Tuesday afternoon.