Every UEA student has dozed off in a lecture, snored during a seminar or even camped out in the library to save a competitively sought after spot. Most universities would simply frown upon this typically student behaviour. UEA however yet again proved itself to be the coolest university around by embracing it, and furthermore coming up with a plausible solution. UEA collegiettes, we give you ‘the nap nook’.
Today UEA history was made when the Student Union made all of our dreams come true by opening a nap room for students on campus. The introduction of ‘the nap nook’ is a clear demonstration of the UEA motto: ‘Do different’, breaking the mould and making the university the first in the country to have its own nap room.
Rumours of the said project have been circulating for the past year but most students shrugged them off, expecting them to amount to nothing, much like the time we were all led to believe that CD Annex would close for good. Good old UEA came through for us this time though, officially opening ‘the nap nook’ to all UEA students in an attempt to prevent sleep deprivation.
The ‘nap nook’, situated in the Student Union is a calm, quite space where students can book a 40 minute sleep slot between 12 and 6pm. Decked out with fairy lights, bean bags, sofas and even eye masks, it offers solace to sleep deprived students and gives them a place to have a quiet power nap in between lectures. The project has been met by mixed reviews with some worrying about the safety of the den. The installation of CCTV and strict rules on ‘misusing’ the facility have settled all worries as well as affectively stopping anyone from turning this ‘lounge’ into the next L to tick off their list.
Inspired by the James Madison University in Virginia who launched ‘Nap nooks’ to their campus in 2013, UEA is using this project to tackle the issue of sleep deprivation and to encourage students to get a bit more shut-eye. Sleep is a necessity, especially for students who ‘have to’ juggle a work hard-play hard lifestyle. Sleep restores our energy, helps us to think more clearly and creatively, fights off illness and affects our moods dramatically.
While it is unrealistic to expect university students to make sleep a priority when there are LCR nights out to be had and too many Netflix films to catch up on, the ‘nap nook’ will give students enough rest to last through their lectures. Not only could this inspired idea lead to a higher attendance rate but also potentially a more vocal and responsive class, independent of the exploits of the night before.