Can You Handle The Heat?

A mere month into semester one  at Brookes and all the hideous experiences of the library that I had somehow managed to remember through rose tinted goggles over the long (long) summer break have come flooding back. Strolling in to the Gipsy lane building  on a cold October day I am knocked back by a heat that makes it necessary to strip down to a level bordering on public indecency. 

As much as this uncomfortable climate makes me want to run to the comforts of the icy wind outside I’m determined to set myself up for a decent grade this year. I must concentrate on the task at hand, reading. Alas a second problem arises. As usual the most important books for my current essay are in the short loan section. Naturally the Brookes library only has two of these books and, unsurprisingly with a class of 40+ students all doing the same essay, both are missing from the shelves.

You’re more likely to find one of these on the shelves.

Still determined to work towards that (ever fading) dream of a 2:1 in my essay I wander upstairs to find a few books on the subject published in the 80’s. Beggars can’t be choosers. Finally ready to sit down and engross myself in academia for a few hours I realise, yet again, that this may be too much to ask. It’ll take you a good half an hours strolling in circles to locate an empty seat whilst you listen to groups of freshers discussing last night’s antics. Easily recognizable, they’ll have a book (probably the one you want) open half-heartedly on the desk before them and Facebook blatantly visible on their laptops. Even the rare fresher that is engrossed in their work evokes a feeling of rage that is quite unexpected. Has nobody told you first year doesn’t count??

The new library is set to open in January 2014.

When/if you manage to find a seat it’ll be tucked in a deep, dark corner so obscure the librarians probably don’t know it even exists. The idea of finding a computer is laughable, I think it’s possible that the people lucky enough to find one stake them out on the first day of term and live there for the rest of the year.

So, hot, stressed and tired from endless wandering in sub-Saharan heat I’m ready to give up hope and admit defeat. I’ve just about written the title and mustered together something resembling an introduction with my out of date books. Enough hard work for one day.

The new library is set to open in January. Watch this space for our verdict. If you’d like to write for The Tab get in touch at [email protected]