Students studying for their biology finals won’t be able to do so in UF’s law library starting Sunday.
The library will remain open only for law students from Sunday through Dec. 16, the end of the College of Law’s exam period, said Associate Dean for Legal Information Claire Germain. Non-law students can use the library for research if they fill out a request form online.
This is the first time the library is implementing this policy, Germain said. It comes after multiple requests this term from law students.
Germain said law student exams are different from undergraduate exams because students’ entire grades depend on them. She said good grades are critical to getting a job after graduation.
"Everything hangs on whether they get a good grade on that exam," she said. "It’s particularly important for them to have a quiet space to study."
UF second-year law student Alex Peckham said he understands the reasoning behind the policy but doesn’t think it makes much of a difference.
"It’ll be nice only having law students, but I don’t know if it’s necessarily fair," the 23-year-old said.
But UF third-year law student Brian Lawrence said the policy is necessary. He thinks it’s difficult to find a quiet study spot during finals, and undergraduates tend to talk in the designated quiet areas.
"It can be a pretty frustrating experience, and finals are stressful enough as it is," the 24-year-old said.
Chloe Reynolds, a UF criminology and political science junior, said she likes to study at the law library because it’s quiet and she can easily access criminology books.
The 21-year-old said it’s unfortunate undergraduates can’t access the library because Library West and Marston Science Library fill up quickly during finals.
"I think it’s only fair that if you’re only there to study, you’re not going to talk or make noise," she said. "Other students besides law students should be accepted as well."
Contact Alexandra Fernandez at afernandez@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @alexmfern
