Around 11 p.m. during Dead Week, cars pack the parking lot at Gorgas Library as students begin painstakingly preparing for finals.

“Although studying in a dorm room is convenient, it is often a poor place to learn,” according to a Dartmouth College study titled, “Where to Study/How to Study.”

“The dorm has a plethora of distractions. Lying down on the bed to read turns into an hour-long nap and a bright yellow highlighter spot on your sheets,” the study states.

Some students, like Heather Grant, a junior majoring in biology, prepare for exams during downtime at work.

“Tonight, I will be working overnight and it will probably be pretty dead, so I plan to get some studying done,” she said.

Sarah Hamilton, a sophomore majoring in biology, sat at a table on the second floor of Gorgas with a cup of coffee, her biology book open and notes spread across the table as she got an early start on studying for finals.

“I like the second floor of Gorgas because it is not too loud or too quiet, and it keeps me from studying in my room,” she said.

If she has a lot of studying that requires intense concentration, she prefers the fourth floor, where the designated noise level is silent during Dead Week and finals, she said.

“Some other good places to study would be Bruno Library, and a good off-campus place is Barnes and Noble,” she said.

Tom Wilson, the associate dean of libraries, said they have heard good responses from students about the noise level stipulations in Gorgas during Dead Week and finals.

“Students really appreciate the smaller amount of activity as you go up on higher levels in Gorgas,” he said.

“For students that have collaborative projects and would be engaged in louder activity should stay on the lower levels. Students that need quieter study typically go to [the fourth floor] in Gorgas.”

While many students choose to study in Gorgas, Carly Taffet, a sophomore majoring in restaurant and hotel management, said she loves the atmosphere of Starbucks.

“I like to study in Starbucks because of the coffee, as well as the music,” she said. “It is a more social and open environment, which is different from the library.”

While some students may enjoy the Quad for studying, Taffet said she studied there once last year and didn’t like it.

“I need some type of chair to study in, because personally I feel it is better for me while studying,” she said.

Wilson said the libraries are seeing an increase in people utilizing their study areas. Rodgers, in particular, is open 24 hours a day, five days a week during the school year.

“We chose to start the 24/5 location at Rodgers library, because it has one main entrance,  which is easier to secure than Gorgas would be, and it is a more contained space,” he said.

He said more computers and software will be available to students in the fall.