The Library – is it really necessary?

During the sober-course-related activities of Freshers week, one point that all lecturers were keen to reiterate was that “in order to succeed we must read” and spend as much time in the library as possible.

Since those days I’ve been to the library exactly twice, and I’m still well on course for that all important 40% that I need to pass first year.

41%? SUCCESS!!!

In my mind, the library is nothing but a hassle. There are never any seats to be found, even if you were to traipse up and down all 1001 flights of stairs from now until July.

Add to that the checkpoint-like entry system, the throngs of students going this way and that and there you go; it’s too much effort before you’ve even lifted a book.

Gosh but it’s packed in here today…

Moreover, once you’ve actually gone to the bother of looking up what books you need to research/revise from, you discover that lo and behold they all come in an e-book format. May as well have stayed in bed.

You’re telling me they’re all online?

Instead, over exam season I’ll be staying cosied up in my room. There are no rules, I can work while lying in bed. Add in endless tea breaks as well as the fact that you can go on Facebook without the death stares from your computer neighbours. 

With any luck you’ll even download one of those e-books and learn something!

10 minutes into revision and we feel the need for a different kind of session

No, sorry, not for me. With ever expanding online resources such as JSTOR and Project Muse, there really is no need to make the long trek to the McClay (I’d include the JTown library here as well, but as their entire student population is currently sitting in ours it seems unnecessary).