How to go unnoticed when you’re crying in Hartley Library

Crying in Hartley: we’ve all been there. Maybe it’s a Wednesday morning and you’re trying to do some seminar reading, but all you can think about is that gross boy you pulled in Sobar last night and how you’re trying not to vom (that third Quad Vod really wasn’t a good idea).

Maybe you’ve been doing nothing but your coursework for the past week and have just been to talk to your lecturer about it, only to be told that you’ve taken it in the entirely wrong direction and need to start again from scratch.

Or maybe you’re tired, hungry and you miss your dog, so just need a good old cry.

Sadly, it's not widely accepted to just start bawling your eyes out wherever you are. So here are some handy tips and tricks for how to deal with crying in Hartley library, and make the best of a non-ideal situation.

If you’re just a little watery-eyed then remain seated

If you only have a few tears and think you’ll be able to keep your crying quiet and non-messy, I’d recommend staying at your desk. After all, you don’t want anyone to nab your seat or steal your laptop, and it’s way easier to stay in the comfort of your warm seat.

After you're done crying, go to the loo to wipe your face, drink some water and try to make your eyes less red.

Thinking about your latest coursework mark

If you've got a booth then you've got the best of both worlds – all the comfort of being able to stay where you are, whilst being secluded enough that you don't have to worry about people watching your breakdown unfold.

In need of a nap

If the tears are coming thick and fast, find a bookshelf

If you need a more substantial cry that will be difficult to hide, defo leave your seat and find somewhere else to go.

All the floors have areas where there are pillars in amongst the bookshelves, so it's easy to hide behind one of these and have a cry. Some of my favourite crying spots in Hartley include the bit on Level Two by the lifts, and the space at the other end of Level Two, after the printers and opposite the girls' toilets.

The Union Shop ran out of sausage rolls

If it's likely to last longer than 20 mins, look for a secluded location

Go to an especially boring section of the library (like where the Maths textbooks are) to guarantee that no one will interrupt you.

You need to carefully weigh up your choice of which floor to go to. The lower floors are noisier, so the sounds of your crying blend in and go more unnoticed than they would if you chose to cry on Level Four or Five. However, these lower levels are generally a lot busier, so you have a higher chance of getting caught mid-cry.

Not done any reading for the seminar this afternoon

If you need a full-on sob, get out!

Honestly, just go home. You’re definitely too sad/stressed/hungover to stay in the library, and your productivity will be non-existent.

You need to get in bed, under a lot of blankets, and have a proper cry. Take a few hours off work – or even the rest of the day, if you need to. If one of your housemates is in, get a cuddle off of them. Have some yummy snacks and watch some Netflix, and don’t even think about Hartley for a while.

A combination of hungry, have a cold and have three deadlines fast approaching

Happy crying x