School assignments?

Last Monday I attended a lecture by the Albanian writer/poet Ismail Kadare, at the Harriman Institute of Columbia University, entitled "Literature vs. Tiranny". It was delivered in French in the large Low Library Hall, which was filled to capacity with the majority of the attendees being Albanian. It was a georgeous, sunny, and hot day, and, as pictured above, the university campus was crowded with students sunbathing everywhere. As one of them wrote in the local paper's article, how is it possible to concentrate on reading assignments while day dreaming in such enjoyable weather?