On a late Monday afternoon, Gijs Mariën (21) is learning for his criminal law exam. He sits alone on a high stool in the corner of a former study room. He’s a little tucked away, as it’s one of the few remaining study spaces after the partial closure of the G-building. “I really looked all over campus for a spot, unsuccessfully. So here it is, even though no one is sitting here anymore,” he explains, startled from his work.
‘Maybe room after three pm'
Because the EUR recently closed both the Tinbergen and the G-buildings, the shortage of study places has increased. This leads to long lines in front of the Polakgebouw early in the morning.
The fact that students cannot find a place now leads to irritation among many students. Law student Niek Bonnijr (19) likes to study for his exams in the Polakgebouw, in the few cases that he can find a place. He complains: “There might be a place after three o’clock, but not before. At that time, there’s only room if you get up at 6:30 in the morning and stand in a queue with sixty people. The app to reserve a spot doesn’t work for this building because many spaces are overlooked.”
Priority
“Already full, everything is fully booked and crammed, I’m already walking three laps.” Business Administration student Hadjar Martinez (21) has to study for an exam. “And then when you find a place, people are talking loudly in an open room or there is no ventilation, which in turn makes you more likely to get infected with covid.”
The program coordinator told master’s student in commercial law Grace Abigail Metheney (22) at the beginning of the academic year that law students would have priority to study in Sanders’ library. In practice, that promise turned out differently, and she doesn’t always get into the library because of the crowds. “Teachers tend to motivate you to use physical lawbooks because they are often more complete, but if you can’t get into the library, then you can’t, which is frustrating.” she said.
Checking for student passes would be a godsend, she says, to prevent the scarcity of spots. “Even in the evening, it is often difficult to find a place to study.”
Solutions
Now, if students do want to study on campus, they are left to their own ingenuity. In front of the university library, business administration student Daphne Herdem (24) giggles: “If people don’t show up to claim the spot they reserved in the Study Rooms App, then you just have to be quick and you have a chance.”
According to a spokesperson, the EUR will provide more study spaces on campus Woudestein next year.
