Finding Peace and Quiet in an Unusual Place

The end of this unprecedented school year is finally upon us, as class lectures come to an end and exam season begins. Once exams are written, the first and possibly last online academic year will be in the books.

Like most students, Hunter Wilcox takes studying for his final exams very seriously. However, this year, things are much different.

His favourite studying hotspot, the Student Union building, is completely empty. The building is eerily quiet, as you can hear the drop of a pencil, that is if there were students here to drop them. Markings on the floor direct traffic to ensure visitors follow strict Covid-19 protocols, and tables are generously spread out across the room.

Wilcox said that although its emptiness is intriguing, it is by no means surprising.

“I’m not surprised to see no one here honestly, and to be fair, I think it’s a good thing. It shows that students are taking this pandemic seriously,” Wilcox said.

Typically, the Student Union building is crowded with students absorbing as much class material as possible with upcoming exams. Yet, this is a year like no other.

Students have substituted group hangouts for zoom calls and studying on campus with studying from the comfort of their own bed. Wilcox, however, is taking advantage of this and is using the building as the ultimate studying playground, as, for the first time, he finds himself alone in it.

“It’s odd being in here without needing to shout to get my point across to the person next to me. I quite like it,” he said.

The building is open Monday through Friday between 9 am and 5 pm by reservation only, and appears as a hidden gem of a study spot for exams, which is something not many people could have seen coming around this time last year.

Thanks to the building’s newly found peace and serenity, Wilcox was able to get a productive day of studying under his belt. He feels as though he is ready for whatever comes his way this exam season, trick questions and all.

“When I was on my way to the SUB, I thought there was no chance I would have such an efficient study session. I pictured it being as full as it could be within Covid guidelines. Gladly, I was wrong,” Wilcox said.

In-person classes are expected to return next semester for students at UNB, which will be a nice return to normalcy for many students. This likely means that the Student Union Building will return to business as usual, filled to the brim with students and faculty of all departments.