The Second Floor of O’Neill Library Can Change Your Life

I always asked myself why do I go to the second floor in O’Neill library to do my homework. My path to O’Neill library requires a wait for 20 minutes at Newton’s bus stop, then fifteen minutes of bus ride from Newton Campus to Main Gate bus stop. After that, it takes me around 10 minutes to walk from the Main Gate’s stop to O’Neill library. I leave my dorm, all lounges in Boston College and go to this specific library. After 30 minutes of walk and wait, I arrive to the front door of the library with a red face, sweaty shirt, and a heavy backpack that breaks my spinal cord. Although I waste an hour and a half only to get to the library and come back to Newton campus, I earn high grades in my classes from studying there.

O’Neill library provides me and BC’s student the best resources to make us be willing to do our homework and be successful students. For example, when I enter the front door of the second floor, my body always goosebumps from the difference of temperature between the library and outside temperature. The temperature in O’Neill library is set to make students be motivated and energized to do their work. On the other hand, the temperature in Newton’s study lounges are low. Studying in a cold room makes me feel tired and willing to sleep on my warm bed. Then, I sit on a brown leather chair that makes me sit posture to study and smell the fresh leather that makes me feel like if I’m sitting in the first class airline seats. Finally, in front of the comfy chair, there is a big 3 by 2 brown ash table. It makes me be unwilling to remove my arms on it and continue doing my work. Tables in the study rooms in Newton campus are usually white colored and don’t make me feel the same way I feel in O’Neill’s library.

When I feel tired of doing a lot of homework, I always look at the two pictures that are hung on the walls. O’Neill library has two paintings that represent the history of BC and make students be motivated to continue their hard work. For example, the first painting illustrates a group of 15 students having fun while working on their homework. This painting encourages me to enjoy studying and take advantage of study groups. Every time I look at this painting I remember that to succeed in my classes, I should love what I’m working on. In addition, it encourages me to seek for my friends or professors if I had some questions. The second floor of O’Neill library has also a study group room if students are willing to work on school projects. I’ve had several study groups with my friends and that helped me a lot in improving my performance in my classes.

On the second wall there is a painting of Gasson’s building in the mid 1800s. The point of this picture is to make students feel proud of where they are and be willing to contribute to this college. There is a caption under this picture says, “Boston College believes that its hard working students will be able to change the world to make it a better place.” This picture promotes me to continue my hard work and never give up because it shows how Boston College believes in its students’ capabilities.

When I finish working on a homework and look around me, I see the rest of the students in the library calmed and working on their homework. This reveals how students are engaged in their work and makes me feel energetic to continue studying. In this library, students are not allowed to talk at all and there is an advisor who makes sure that nobody is being noisy. On theother hand, I don’t like to study in Newton’s study lounges because there is nobody to stop students from talking in the study room. Students are working and acting on their own.

I was always curious why do I feel calmed and focused on my work when I’m in the library. Room color has huge affect on my mood. Room color can make students feel energetic, depressed, relieved, tired, or happy. O’Neill library’s walls are colored gray, white, and brown. Neutral colors calm students down and attract them to stay in the study rooms and do their work. Colors have a big factor on students in the library to make them willing to focus on their homework.

In the middle of the library, there is a big sign that says “Ask us, we will help.” My friends and I always have questions in math problems, and techonology. The library always have trained students who are more than happy to help us or send us to the right people. For example, there are tutors for multiple subjects and ITS, technicians, who are more than happy to provide an immediate help. On the other hand, there are no tutors nor technicians in Newton’s study lounges. Finally, safety is one of the most important components of an attractive place. Students would not be willing to study in a place that is dangerous to their lives. The library has multiple security cameras and fire extinguisher in case of emergency. On the other hand, not all study lounges in Newton campus have security cameras. I personally don’t feel comfortable studying in study lounges on Friday nights in Newton Campus because of the absence of security cameras in there. Clearly, O’Neill library has different resources that are not provided in study lounges, such as ITS, tutors, and security cameras.

In conclusion, in today’s life, students get distracted easily from their work. Although it’s important to give some time to friends, it’s also important to leave the rest of the time for schoolwork. Boston College provides us libraries to study and focus on our school work. Getting accepted to Boston College took years of hard work. Therefore, I recommend all students who are willing to earn high grades to study in O’Neill library because it keeps us away from distractions and provides the perfect environment and resources. It changed my life and can change other students’ lives by motivating them to focus on their classwork rather than playing video games all day. Students might find it tough to stop doing what they used to do from distractions but this place can help them reach their goals of becoming successful students. If parents are not here to remind them of doing their homework, this place can do that by showing them how there are students who are studying for long hours.