King of the hill (study edition): Student Stores

I hate the libraries during finals week.

Frankly, they make me want to throw up — that’s way too much stress to be crammed into a single space.

Instead, I want to talk about the unsung hero of on-campus study spaces: the Bull’s Head Bookshop.

I’ll admit, it’s not for everyone, especially during finals.

It can be loud, and people are always walking around and it’s a little distracting to constantly be surrounded by copies of “Harry Potter."

But you don’t go to the bookstore because you’re looking for quiet, you go because you’ve spent the last three days in Davis, and you need to remember what human interaction is like.

Study spaces are limited in the bookstore, but the ones you can find are definitely worth the search.

The tables scattered by the windows have a few advantages — the first being that they’re actual tables.

For when you need a writing surface, a place to put your coffee or something hard to bang your head against, they’re ideal.

There are also the benches on the outside balcony facing the student recreation center.

It took me an entire semester to find this spot, so it feels almost like a secret hideout.

It has a gorgeous view of campus and it’s always fun to drop stuff on your friends when they’re walking by.

But with it finally starting to get cold, studying outside may not be your best bet right now.

Which brings me to the crown jewel of Student Stores study spaces: the chairs in the children’s/young adult section.

Hear me out — these chairs are perfect.

They’re comfortable enough to make studying a little less terrible, but not so comfortable that you’re constantly fighting the urge to nap.

You may see some people there, but it’s not a very popular study spot, so I find myself alone more often than not.

When you need a study break, a good book is literally at your fingertips — literally.

If you’re ambitious and have long arms, you can grab a book without even getting out of the chair.

And for those moments when you feel like the weight of finals is literally crushing you, chances are there’s going to be a staff member quietly restocking, or a child going through the hundreds of picture books on the bottom shelf.

These are just a few of the constant reminders that an entire world exists beyond this campus, and that world doesn’t necessarily care what grade you make in CHEM 102 (I mean, maybe someone does, but that kid reading “Calvin and Hobbes”in front of you sure doesn’t.)

It puts things into perspective.

And if there’s one thing we need during finals, it’s perspective.

@callie_riek

swerve@dailytarheel.com