According to Cabot Science Librarian Lynne M. Schmelz, about 33,625 students exited Cabot library during its extended hours spring semester. Of those, 6,753 exits occurred during extended hours, between midnight and 9 a.m.

"There's a lot of in and out," Schmelz says, emphasizing that extended shuttle hours and a 24-hour guard at the Science Center have enhanced study safety.

"I can't say whether students camp out or not, but there's definitely a lot of movement into the library," she says.

Sanborne says pressure to stay in the libraries during reading period stems from the classic Harvard impulse to achieve.

"We would sit around at dinner and play the 'I'm more behind than you are' game. It got pretty tiring," she says.

Time to Absorb

Too much studying may lead to stress and fatigue, but it can also produce high marks.

"Cramming may be a terrible attitude, but people do it and succeed," Young says.

But students say cramming is more productive than spreading studies out over an extended period.

"There is a lot of last minute cramming that goes on," Gonzalez says, "But it does help a lot."

"I would do 90 percent of my course work during reading period," recalls Gina M. Greene '92, who is returning to Harvard from San Francisco for her fifth reunion this year. "I would even feel sorry for my friends at other schools who didn't have the time."

According to Charles Ducey, director of the Bureau of Study Council, last minute review can be productive, but cramming alone rarely yields positive results.

"It stands to reason that you won't retain the information because you haven't done the cognitive reasoning that requires," Ducey says.

Ducey says students have shown a marked interest in developing good study habits. The Bureau sponsored workshops on how to use reading period effectively, which officials said were well-attended.

"Students definitely get a lot out of reading period and want to use the time wisely," he says.