In the early morning hours, Bruin Walk is dark and empty. There
are no flyers, no students, no one is even trying to convert
students on their way up the walk.
Occasionally, a rat or a mouse sprints from one trash can to
another, never failing to get the attention of passersby.
With 10th week coming to an end and finals week approaching, the
concept of “night life” at UCLA has changed completely,
and students have migrated from parties to Powell Library.
As he sat on the steps of Powell chatting with a friend, Ted
Yeh, a fifth-year political science student, recalled the
all-nighters he had pulled during his time at UCLA.
“I study … nap for a couple hours … and then study
some more,” he said, adding that finals week is the main time
when he comes to Powell to study.
Yeh is not alone. Many students abandon their beds the night
before a big test and sleep on the couches in the library.
For those who do not want to study or sleep in a crowded
library, there are alternatives during these busy weeks with signs
in the Powell directing students to those spots.
Both Kerckhoff Hall and Ackerman Union have study rooms open 24
hours a day, available to both groups and individuals seeking a
place to study.
The Terrace on the first-level of Ackerman Union is also a
popular spot on campus during crunch time.
At around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday, the place was nearly half-filled
with students scattered throughout the large dining room.
“It fills up during finals week,” said Terrance Yu,
a first-year microbiology student and a regular at the locale.
“It’s more relaxing here … I can listen to music
here,” he added as he took a break from writing a paper.
Yu said there have been times where he fell sleep there, only to
be awakened by his friends the next morning.
He pointed at a corner close to Panda Express, where he has
fallen asleep before. Yu went on to explain that he pushes chairs
together and uses his backpack as a pillow when spending the night
at Ackerman.
Yu considered himself lucky since he could do his paper on his
laptop computer.
Students with laptops can bypass the wait at the library and
take advantage of wireless Internet access available at Ackerman or
at a number of locations throughout the campus.
For those who do not have the convenience of laptops, the
average wait at the library at midnight is close to an hour.
Different students had different reasons for choosing Ackerman
over the library.
A few said the library is too hot, and others said they like the
fact they can eat in Ackerman.
“People in Powell snore really loudly,” said Eric
Taur, a first-year biochemistry student, recalling that he once
spent all night at the library studying for organic chemistry and
went straight to class the next morning.
“I like Ackerman ’cause you can talk without feeling
bad … it can get annoying there when people are on their phones
in the library,” said Amy Truong, a first-year biochemistry
student who was studying with Taur at the same table.
She added that the free coffee in Kerckhoff Hall is also a plus
since the two planned on staying in the union until three or four
in the morning.
During 10th and finals week, Kerckhoff Coffee House offers free
coffee to all students studying for finals and is open late.
Even after the coffee house closed, three Thermoses of coffee,
and all the necessary utensils are left outside the entrance for
the students during their long nights of studying.
Other campus services have also expanded their hours to serve
the community of students studying late on campus.
The evening shuttle will operate from 3-7 a.m. and is available
to transport students to locations around campus.
The X-Cape game room is also open, to accommodate students and
provide them with a place where they can take a break from their
studies and play pool or video games.
For those students who do not want to walk to the library or
even Ackerman Union, there are alternatives on the Hill, including
computer labs and study rooms.