Students Reserve Group Study Room to Study Individually Together

In an effort to squeeze a social life into the Penn academic schedule, students have begun to reserve group study rooms just to study individually together.

“I think it’s a really effective way of socializing. I say hi to my friends when I enter the room, sit down, and start studying,” said College junior Arseh Ole. “Then after two hours of silent studying, I get up, say goodbye, and leave.”

However, this pattern of socializing without socializing has students with actual group projects caught in the crossfire.

“I had a huge group presentation to give the next day and needed to practice with my group partners,” said Bessie Studin. “But all the group study rooms were filled with people with their earbuds plugged in and staring at their laptops.”

Although there are students who actally need to use the group study rooms, students studying individually together remain unfazed.

“I am not misusing the room,” said Ole. “It’s called group study room. I am with a group of people, and I am studying. They never specified that we had to be collaborating.”