The perfect reading room – wishful thinking or reality?

Tuntreet and Student Board member Vegard Sjaastad Hansen share a common dream that the perfect reading spot exists. Together they set out on the hunt, which takes them up and down stairs, in and out of doors and several years back in time, back to when the reading rooms were a real battle at NLH.

Journalist: Ingvild Lauvstad

Translator: Pauline Marie Søndenå

Fotograf: Margit Schrader Haugland and Nathalie Genevieve Bjørneby

Before we set out on the hunt, we have a meeting in the office of the Student Parliament and Student Board to uncover the saga of NMBU and the reading rooms. "The number of reading spots has been frozen several years now, but the number of students has increased," Vegard points out. "It is difficult to map how many people use the reading rooms, it is easier to find data on group rooms which can be booked. The pandemic has probably had an impact", he continues. The need for more spots is decided at faculty level, but Vegard emphasizes that AU can take the matter further if it affects large parts of the university. «If you are dissatisfied with the reading room itself, there is a web portal for reporting needs, e.g. poor ventilation », Vegard explains. "The university is good at fixing such things as they happen."

"The Student Board has correspondence from the 80s between students and the university, where students are fighting for money to cover the rent for their own premises since the capacity of reading rooms had reached its limit," Vegard can tell with a smile.

Today's need for reading rooms is probably less urgent - but can you sit anywhere? "There are no special regulations for master spots, the most important thing is to show common decency - move if someone has reserved the place", is the last admonition from Vegard before the hunt can begin.

The Clock Building

In the Clock Building - the pearl of the university's many buildings, you will find reading rooms over two floors. The building is not only reserved for LANDSAM students, and the spaces can be used by everyone. The master reading rooms at the top of the building are bright and quiet, have a traditional look, and a retro loft feel. The reading spots are divided into five rooms of different sizes. There are kitchen facilities (yes, they have a microwave!) and one can enjoy an area for relaxation, with a good view of the university courtyard.

However, there is one downside - though an insignificant one for the energetic NMBU student – you must climb four floors to be able to enter the doors to these magnificent rooms. For those who want fewer steps to climb, you can use the more classic reading room at the far left on the 3rd floor. But fear not! The Clock building has an elevator, so it may not be a problem after all.

Sørhellinga

Sørhellinga can in many ways be considered the capital of NMBU's empire of reading rooms. The largest room is spread over three areas where the desks are separated by partitions in fashionable orange. Mecca is located around a large, open area for relaxation, with kitchen facilities (yes, they have a microwave!). All this is only discovered when you realize that the building uses the English floor system, and that the 1st floor is actually the 0th floor.

Something that separates Sørhellinga from most other reading rooms is the ban on shoes indoors. A minus some would say, but for those of us who like to feel the toes get proper room to move, or like to feel the soft fabric of the spacious slippers against the skin, this is a real plus.

The TF Building

In our beloved TF building, you will also find some reading rooms. However, these are somewhat narrow, to the extent that some of them can be used as large group rooms - if you are many enough and do not really have plans to do any schoolwork (assuming there is no one sitting there already, remember the common decency!). The basement's reading room has a Stressless chair (which lowers the prison vibes to a certain extent), and is naturally a master's spot. Tuntreet does not judge, as writing a master can be hard for both head and butt.

Bikuben

If you want more life, Bikuben is a nice place. Here you have both a canteen and what NMBU refers to as "study zones" - a cross between a reading room and a canteen table. You can choose whether you want a lot of noise around you by sitting in the canteen area or on the tables at the top of the grandstand, a little less noise in group rooms, or if you prefer, total silence in the reading room "Glassvingen". A big bonus is the room’s large corner windows facing the small forest outside Bikuben's rear walls. If you are lucky and grab a spot along these windows, you can look forward to a day indoors, but what almost feels like a day outside.

The Veterinary Building

What? You do not have to be a veterinarian to set foot within the walls of the Veterinary Building? Vegard encourages everyone to make more use of the university library, which is common to the entire university. "It would have been nice if we all spread a little more when choosing a reading room. The veterinarians can also use all the reading rooms on campus", he assures, as we enter the building's huge foyer.

Since the university library is just a library, it is very quiet and peaceful there. Here you can choose both classic office chairs, or deep, nice armchairs for a good reading session of both the syllabus and other things. Otherwise, there are many cool events at the library, and Vegard hopes everyone goes there the next time something happens!

The Veterinary Building

The Tower Building

It can feel a bit as if the Tower Building, in the same way as the Clock Building, is set aside for the economics and business students, but the reading rooms are open to everyone. The basement's reading room may receive the award for the most fun floor plan. It is spread over two floors, but the area is completely open with a staircase up to the 2nd floor. Even if you sit by yourself on the 1st floor, you share the room with everyone who sits on the 2nd floor as well. This can feel nice, but at the same time also a bit cramped - the reading room is definitely worth checking out! A plus is that this is a quiet reading room for those who get easily distracted, or just do not want to hear about everything the person next to you experienced at the last party.

The Soil Science Building

For those who do not belong to MINA, the Soil Science Building can be seen as an ever so small mystery. The building houses, among other things, NITO and the IT department, as well as a labyrinth of rooms and reading rooms. "I have not set foot in a more confusing building," sighs Vegard, as we descend into the inner depths of the Soil Science building, also called the basement. Here we find a reading room with a cozy kitchen area (unsure about the microwave!). Vegard tells the legend about the good coffee in the building, and you have to find your way to the building's kitchen areas to test it yourself!

BIOVIT

The last building to be trawled for reading rooms is BIOVIT. Here the reading areas are more open, with tables and chairs, some without partitions, others with. It is otherwise bright and nice. We actually managed to find an adjustable height desk, but this was reserved, and there is probably a student among all NMBU's wise, young minds, who needs this particular desk. Tuntreet nonetheless reserves the right to dream of an adjustable height desk in the future.

Conclusion

After an intense hunt, Tuntreet can conclude that there are many more reading rooms than we were aware of, and you do not have to sit with the entire university at Sørhellinga. Vegard encourages everyone to use the entire range of reading rooms NMBU has to offer, and after a good hunt, we are convinced that the perfect place actually exists. However, it is up to you to find it, and here you have the menu presented. Good luck!