I’ve been going to the university library for half a year or so, and I’ve learned a bit about a tiny thing—choosing a seat.

First of all, nothing is more natural than to make sure that seat is usable, like you need to check that the plugboard, chair, and PC (if any) all work, and so on and so forth. Dont think it’s ridiculous, I’ve come across plugs that constantly switch the power on and off, chairs with missing wheels that will tilt almost sideways once it’s sat on, or those with no soft sponge but only hard metal wires/pipes, and PCs plugged into power but won’t turn on…

Then the most important thing is the type of table. I think the height adjustable tables are the best, the second best is the narrow long table with partition boards for 4 people, The rest are just average—they are wide and long with people sitting on both sides. The most wonderful thing about the adjustable tables is that you can study or read while standing up, so there’s no worry about getting sleepy. The long narrow tables are for only 4 people each, so the space for each person is a bit larger compared to the normal space for one person. Generally speaking, I just take an adjustable table whenever I can - even if you don’t mention studying while standing, it’s still awesome that you can change the height of both the table and the chair freely based on yourself.

Then there is the lighting. Some seats, I think, are perfectly mismatched with the lights overhead. Some lights shine on the table, but they' re slightly in front of it, shining right into your eyes and giving your eyes a hard time before you even work for a short while. By far the most comfortable lights are the ones directly above the seats. Another thing is that, the lights in my university’s library are long rectangular stripes, so a light can be either horizontal or vertical when it’s directly above a seat. To choose between them, I think the light shines more comfortably and becomes less blinding when it’s in the vertical position.

Next is the location. Personally I like it best when it’s by the windows or by the stairwell, and when there are very few seats around. I like it by the window or by the stairwell because then there is a wider space to see and everything’s not so cramped in general. Especially when it’s by the window, sunshine comes in and the nice view of sky and trees is directly outside. The stairwell is a little worse, but it can have a similar effect. Although people come and go, and there’s noise when doors open and close, at least the surrounding area is not static or dead.

Having fewer seats around means there won’t be many people, so the chance someone talking (in an area where they shouldn’t talk loudly) is lower. Also the air is a little better where there are fewer people. If the air is stuffy, especially after lunch, it can make you sleepy. Of course if there are few seats around, it doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is fine—but if I feel stuffy right when I’m looking for a seat, or if I hear people talking, I’ll just run away, no matter how many seats are around.

About environmental noises, it really depends on the person, but I just can’t stand people talking when I’m reading or doing problems. So if I need to study on my own, I don’t even think about going to those areas where people are allowed to talk quietly or study in groups, because it’s totally fine for them to talk, and I have absolutely no control over that. But if someone talks loudly for a long time in a silent area, it’s definitely their problem, and I’ll not hesitate to lecture them on the issue kindly remind them of the rules¹.

During the exam season, the library is getting packed with more and more people and much earlier. The two rows of height adjustable tables by the window are almost all occupied at 9 AM. During the time without exams, it starts to get crowded at 10 a.m. in the library, and the window seats are always the most popular and hardest to get. So finding a good seat in the library has become one of the few reasons for me to get up early.

Because of my personal interests, I love sitting close to interesting or useful books in particular. An example is the section for physics books, because I sometimes need to flip through them when I study. Another example is the section for humanities and social sciences, because when I take breaks, I like to read something that I don’t read in class, or something more closely related to humans. I also like places with sofa chairs. My university’s library has exactly that—a coffee table (I guess?) with a circle of sofa chairs around it. I can’t be more satisfied if I can take a book, sit there, and read a couple of pages during a break.

I would be even more satisfied if, when COVID is over, I can breathe fresh air to refresh my mind anywhere in the library, without wearing a mask.