Types of Lincoln students you’ll find in the library during deadline season

Every students favourite time of year!


When you are at the library you are rarely taking in your surroundings and instead,  you are panicking about reaching your word count in time for the deadline.

The library is never busier than when a bunch of students are rushing to hand in their work and race to the next night out in celebration.

During this merry season of deadlines and tears, the library becomes a home to a plethora of students, who all have their own approaches of getting through the dreaded period.

Here is a run down of some of the Lincoln students you will find at the library during deadline season.

The one documenting their progress for social media

‘You must see how close I am to finishing.’

These students care less about quality and more about quantity, and of course showing it to their followers who don’t actually care.

After every other sentence they take out their phones snap a quick picture of their laptop and then repeat.

There is not a definite reason why they do this, perhaps they think people enjoy knowing how long it takes to write their essays, or their ego enjoys reminiscing on how far they come.

Nevertheless, rest assured we all know when they have finished as the sashay down the library corridors telling anyone they might slightly know that they have met their deadlines and, of course, to follow their socials. (shocker)

The zombie

Accurately named and the case for most third years.

Rather than an overwhelming thirst for brains, these Lincoln zombies only want coffee, or energy drinks, or the will to live.

Ultimately, they just want the deadline season to be over and return to student normality – sleeping until midday and enjoying every other night at Trebles.

You can normally find these type of students staring into space, their hands shaking as they reach for the keyboard and the look of regret plastered over their face. Poor souls.

The DJ

‘I can’t explain it but music just helps me concentrate quicker.’

You hear them before you see them.

Every library has them and Lincoln’s is no exception. These students all have the Spotify tab open next to their work and will sporadically start humming or tapping to the beat of their headphones.

They all claim that the music helps them work better, which may well be the case, but they all end up wasting time queuing up the perfect playlist.

Occasionally, you will hear the tinny scream from the headphones or better still, their music starts playing directly from their device and the silence of the library is interrupted by Drake.

The sleepy students

This nap takes balance and practice.

They are what their name suggests, these students will be sleeping.

These individuals take procrastination up a level as they decide that napping prioritises their upcoming deadline. You’ll see them with their heads against the desk or occasionally in the foetal position on one of the benches.

If questioned by one of their friends they will brush off it off, stating they have more than enough time. In the end it will be a mad rush where they reach the minimum word count and submit it with seconds to spare.

The group workers 

These groups come together for moral support, to try and reach their goal of submitting their deadline work. You will often find a group in one of the booked rooms. Despite if they have booked it or not.

Watching these groups will be like watching disorganised mess as they all try and navigate how to finish their essays quickly. Some will distract each other, one could be crying and another napping.

Eventually even the member most committed to doing work will give in to distraction and the group will turn into a chit chatting group of gossip.

The first timer

You come with good intentions but end up staring at your desktop.

When it is your first time at the library you arrive hopeful, believing that the change of venue will be enough to inspire so much greatness that it fills a whole word document, then you realise… it does not. Your cherry is popped and you are left feeling deflated and disappointed.

They may be first years, they could be thirds, either way you see the brightness leave their eyes as they realise it is going to be a long night at the library.

You can spot first timers with blank expressions on their faces, staring at desktops and documents without anything on them. Eventually they will merge into a different type of library goer, as they try to figure out how to get their work done.

The serious student

These students run on pure determination (and probably caffeine)

Most commonly found on the third floor: these students are how the University of Lincoln want all students to be. They are in the zone from the moment they enter the library, phone on silent and with one goal in mind – finishing their essay. No attempt of small talk will be able to distract them.

You will find them in the same seat every day until one day it is like they have vanished into thin air, their deadline will be up, they will be at peace now…until the next time.

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