The Season Of The 'Lock-In' & Why We Could Be Failing

The Season Of The 'Lock-In' & Why We Could Be Failing

By Joda Amankrah

“ Girls we need to lock-in” 

Every single day and in every single group chat. It’s endless and it’s probably the most words that I’ve heard the most since September. 

For a while, that little phrase just meant going to the library for 2+ hours; it didn’t really matter what I did there, as long as I could end the day proclaiming that I had been at the library then I had officially ‘locked-in’ 

That’s sort of the issue: I think the term ‘locking-in’ is kind of performative… As a good friend once told me: “Nobody who is actually locking in says they are ‘locked-in’.”

I have a theory that you cannot ‘lock-in’ around your friends and whether that’s a testament ( or lack there-of) of my will-power or just the general rule: it is one that I have settled on. 

You could be ‘locked in’: headphones on, noise-cancelling switched on, actually understanding what you’re studying… but it really only takes one glance between your friends, one minuscule moment of being ‘locked-out’ to give up. Suddenly it’s 5 minutes on Tiktok, half an hour on a lunch break, 45 minutes of spying out library crushes and it’s officially time to go home. 

Lock-In failed. 

Whilst we can blame our friendships all we want, it would be stupid to talk about the failure of a ‘Lock-In’ without talking about the recent change in seasons. Two weeks ago we were hit with blue skies, above 7 degree weather and unfortunately for my dissertation, 3 essays and 4 exams; the re-emergence of pub gardens. 

Pub gardens: both  absolutely ridiculous and absolutely necessary! There is nothing that basking in the sun, chatting the utmost rubbish with your friends and the concept of ‘locking-in’ being so far out of your mind that it almost doesn’t exist!

Completely besides the point but next time you’re in the sun and either on your university campus or in area that mirrors a university campus, look out for: 

• A man in a wife-beater (I never expected this to be so ubiquitous, but it seems that temperatures above 7°C have a curious effect on the male wardrobe).

• Jorts (The longer, the more dramatic).

• Linen trousers (Extra points if they’re from Marks & Spencer).

• A white blouse (Double bonus if it’s from Brandy Melville).

The checklist is besides the point but what the point is, is that dare I say by professing the ‘lock-in’ we’re all cheating ourselves. We’re failing our collective lock-in because we think that ‘locking in’ is the act of no longer having fun, no more giggles in the library, no more anything and to be honest, a small part of that is correct. 

6 weeks to put aside the better things in life but success will really only come from studying and I guess ‘locking-in’ effectively. 8 hours in the library isn’t going to be very effective if you’re more worried about being in the library than the actual work you’re doing. Deciding not to leave your house for a social outing because you’ve got an exam in 5 weeks won’t help that pretty brain of yours because all you’ll have is a load of pent-up energy and frankly, if you forget everything you’ve studied after a few drinks or a long night out, then perhaps you weren’t studying as effectively as you thought you were…

Please, please, please, don’t go on any benders just to prove you can retain some memory, but let’s all agree to retire the term ‘lock-in’  . It evidently isn’t doing any of us any favours ( at least, not for me.)Stop stressing so much about "locking in" and shift your focus to actually studying and understanding the material you're learning.

Exam season is upon us and rest assured, you can absolutely smash it without resorting to the notorious “lock-in”