Does the term "Club Clemons" ring a bell? Did that all-nighter last week make you miss all your classes the next day or are your teeth about to fall out from all that gummy candy from the Pav?
Whether it's having to do the headings for every new section of your notes in each color of the rainbow like third-year College student Maryann Dabkowski, or just needing to eat a good breakfast the day of an exam, University students have some sort of study habit that puts them at ease.
"I have to be by myself when I study," second-year College student Cristen Hodges said. "Sometimes I go to the library because it motivates me, but it's intimidating because I'm always wondering if the person at the next table is studying for the same exam."
Hodges also said that studying in her room at home is more convenient than the library because it is quiet and all of her books are within reach. Because she's on both the dance team and the Virginia Dance Company, Hodges often sacrifices sleep for studying.
"For late night studying I usually drink Mountain Dew because it has so much caffeine, and I eat sugar-filled candy," she said.
But are the study habits of students at the University different from those at other schools?
According to Rebekah Edwards, a second-year College transfer student from New York University and Caitlin Fritz, a second-year College student who transferred from the University of Richmond, studying at the University required a little adjusting.
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Although Edwards said that she could merely skim the material, go to lectures and study for a couple of hours before an exam at NYU, since being at the University, she retypes all of her class notes and spends more time rereading.
Fritz avoids staying in her dorm room because, unlike her former school, the University dorm rooms are much smaller. Instead, Fritz said that she opts for the third floor of Clemons, which doesn't get distracting unless "someone's watching a loud movie."
Some habits, though, never die.
For Fritz, it's her ritualistic study food.
"First, I get a Cherry Coke and two cups of mixed dry cereal," Fritz said. "Then, if I'm with my friend Laura, there's always a need for gummy worms."
Edwards, not as concerned with her food for thought, did admit to a need for her comfortable bed and music or TV in the background to focus.
"The library's too sterile," she said.
On the other hand, second-year Engineering students Travis Clarke and Adam Sawyer agreed their best work gets done at Clemons - as long as their eyes don't wander.
Clarke said he tries to go to the library in the middle of the day when he knows there won't be too many distractions.
"When all the girls start walking by later on, I start watching them instead of my books," he said.
For Clarke, comfort is key.
"The first thing that I do is throw down my books at a table and go find one of those little blue seat cushions at Clemons," Clarke said. "There's only, like, two of them there, but I gotta have one."
Sawyer agreed that he only can get things done at the library.
"Last year when I lived in dorms, I never went, but this year we need to get out of our apartment," he said.
Clarke and Sawyer said that as engineers, their study habits barely include any reading.
"It's mostly just problem sets and repetition," Sawyer said. "Unless it's economics studying, I really don't read at all."
And what about pressure to get things done?
"I had a 13-page paper due Monday and I didn't start till Sunday," Sawyer said. Both boys agreed that they don't stress too much.
But unlike Sawyer and Clarke, Bret Gladstone, a first-year College student on the varsity men's basketball team, said that balancing schoolwork and practice can "get a little stressful."
"I try to get most of my work done during the day because by the time I get home from practice at 7, eat dinner and do what I have to do, I'm usually too tired to get work done," Gladstone said.
Gladstone said that being both an athlete and a student often leaves him with a full plate.
"Playing basketball at school is kind of like doing schoolwork and having a full-time job at the same time," he said. Although Gladstone said dorms can get distracting, he "gets kind of lazy and never has the energy to go all the way to the library."
"The biggest thing with me is starting my work," he said. "Once I start, I can get everything done."
Gladstone's roommate, Scott Caputo, another first-year College student, said that he also saves things until the last minute.
"I pull all-nighters a lot, but I'm very stress-free," Caputo said. "If I'm determined to get something done, it gets done."
Like Caputo, Ellen Coppins, a third-year College student, said that she pulls all-nighters at least once a week.
"Normally it's to write papers because I have more papers than exams," Coppins said.
"I eat tons of candy and drink lots of caffeine to keep me going," she said. Coppins said that occasionally she'll go to Clemons, but if she's planning to stay up all night, it's easier to stay home.
Most of the time, Coppins said, she'll take a nap from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and then stay up. She sleeps for a good part of the next day.
"It's not the most effective thing ever," Coppins said, "but I study better when I know I have to."
Contrary to Coppins' study habits, Kevin Stiver, a second-year pre-med College student, said his most important studying technique is a good night's sleep.
"I can't concentrate on my exams when I pull all-nighters," he said.
Although Stiver lives in his fraternity house this year, a part of college life often regarded as distracting, he said he's so close to the library that if he's serious about his work, it's easy enough to get done.
"I usually study between classes," Stiver said. Also, since he likes to talk, he said that he goes to Clemons so that for study breaks, he can just walk around on the second floor and hang out with friends.
Tyler Lassiter, a third-year College student who lives in a different fraternity house, agreed with Stiver about the convenience of living there. But Lassiter actually does his best studying at home.
"Our house has an education room with an advanced computer, comfortable chairs and a big table," he said.
In fact, Lassiter said that even though he didn't live in the fraternity house last year, he would go there to get his best studying done because "second-floor Clemons would turn into a social scene."
Also, Lassiter said that brothers in the house always are helpful if needed.
"People have misconceptions about living in frat houses," he said. "My study habits are actually better since living here."
Claire Napier, a fourth-year Commerce student, likes to study at home too.
"If I'm studying by myself, I watch 'Law and Order' because I'm a fanatic and have seen most of the episodes already," she said.
Certain things must be in order though.
"I need plenty of Diet Coke and cigarettes," Napier said.
Apparently, many University students enjoy their own idiosyncratic study rituals, but for the most part, they have a similar goal in mind.
As Lassiter said, "I am much more focused in college than I was in high school because now I know when you're supposed to read something, you better do it."
But as Travis Clarke said, "It drives me crazy if I study for too long. After three hours at Clemons, it's time to leave"
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