The remains of a productive group work session at the library

Prospective MSC students often ask about workload in the program. “How do you deal with it?” “Do you have time to do anything?”

The answer is: you just deal, even if you can’t really articulate how it all gets done. I like this shot of the aftermath of an evening group work session in the library. The artifacts of the room and our time there create a sort of tableau of modern student life. A fleeting moment captured and preserved. The objects seem mundane, but they are also surprisingly evocative of a unique combination of time, place, and energy that will never be repeated.

The main library has changed so much since I was an undergrad here. We reserved a collaboration space in the main floor computer lab and utilized the computer, projector, whiteboards, and markers provided to work on our project. The cafe down the hall was a source of refreshments and snacks. And all around us were more students working in their computer cubbies. The whole place is brighter and more alive.

We were studious and cool and oh so productive. And we wrapped up by 10pm.