Exam season in German university towns: In many cities, hundreds of students share a space

2 mins.

Introduction

Especially during exam periods, study spaces in university libraries are highly contested. For many students, this becomes a serious issue, especially for those who do not have a suitable learning environment at home. But how well are study spaces in German university towns actually provided? We have investigated this question in a recent study. The results are alarming. In some cities, there isn't even one study space available per 100 students. For many, this means challenging learning conditions and poorer chances to successfully process the exam material.

Significant differences in the ratio of study spaces to students

For the analysis, study spaces in central libraries in ten major university cities were recorded and compared with the respective number of students. A total of 31,250 study spaces in 149 libraries were evaluated. Availability is particularly low in Aachen, with 1.25 study spaces per 100 students. Bochum (1.60) and Cologne (1.63) also fall well below two study spaces per 100 students. Stuttgart reaches 2.63 study spaces per 100 students. In the middle range are Düsseldorf (3.39), Munich (3.88) and Frankfurt am Main (4.15). Berlin comes in at 4.37 study spaces per 100 students. The highest figures are recorded in Hamburg with 5.02 and Münster with 5.67 study spaces per 100 students. The comparison also shows that even in better-equipped cities, study space availability remains limited when many students are studying at the same time.

Many students, many libraries – yet still bottlenecks

Pressure arises especially where high student numbers meet limited capacity. With around 200,339 students, Berlin has the highest student population and also the most recorded study spaces (8,757 spaces across 35 libraries). Munich follows with 5,299 study spaces in 26 libraries serving 136,538 students, while Hamburg offers 4,872 study spaces in 30 libraries for 97,043 students.
The numbers make one thing clear: a high total number of study spaces and libraries alone does not prevent bottlenecks. What matters is how study spaces are organized, made accessible, and distributed.

Without transparency, finding space becomes a stress factor

What exacerbates the situation further: Only a few libraries, such as the library at the Technical University of Munich, have so far implemented a booking and utilization system for study spaces. Therefore, students mostly only find out on-site whether spaces are available. At the same time, institutions lack a transparent overview of how intensively different areas are actually used. During periods of high demand, such as exam times, this results in unnecessary trips, uneven utilization, and additional organizational effort. Without digital booking and utilization systems, the availability of study spaces for students remains largely unpredictable and hardly manageable for libraries.

"Especially during exam periods, reliable planning is crucial. Students should not have to wait until they're on-site to find out that all spaces are occupied," says Lucian Holtwiesche, Managing Director and Co-Founder at anny. "Transparent utilization displays and booking options create planning security and relieve both libraries and students equally. Digital solutions can help distribute existing study spaces more fairly and use them more efficiently, ensuring that learning doesn't fail before even arriving."

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