Library pep-talk

If you are a fourth year like me, then you have probably already graced the library with your presence. If, however, you are living in a carefree world where deadlines don’t exist, let me just remind you: THEY ARE COMING. And, unless you are all about online articles and studying in your bed, you are going to have to enter the library at some point over the next few weeks. As your unofficial library advisor, I am here to motivate you into entering a building which resembles a Croydon car park from the outside. Trust me; there are many reasons for going to the library which don’t involve studying.

Food

You don’t even have to go through the barriers to experience the joys of watery, lukewarm coffee and tasty treats to keep you going in the establishment that is the library café. If you don’t want to eat their selection of delights, feel free to bring your own food in. But don’t you DARE try and steal a fork, because you will be branded as a cutlery thief in front of that fly guy from halls.

Stalking

This should be an obvious motivation for going to the libs. That fly guy from halls (I think we should call him Lawrence) is almost definitely going to be renewing a short loan at some point in the week, so all you have to do is hang around the glass enclosure and you’ll bump into him. If you get bored of that, you can jam at the computers while eavesdropping on awkward flirtations (it happens more than you would like to think).

Chat

You can then use the information you have gleaned from Adrian’s floundering attempts with Priscilla to bring the banter with all your friends who have also made the library their chillout zone of choice. Chat in all its various forms can be found here. Probs best not to attempt it on the upper floors as the oversized “SILENCE” signs so kindly remind us. Stick to the stairways and the ground floor and natter to your heart’s content about your mental night out last night, the mental night you’re going to have tonight and, of course, Lawrence.

Fun and games

Now guys, don’t lie, you know you all love using the barriers. Flicking your matric card back and forth across that little strip makes you feel powerful, right? When the barrier miraculously opens in front of you, you feel like you’re part of an exclusive club. In order to add to this joy and stave away boredom, I suggest you play this little game: go in and out of the barriers as many times as you can in a row without being confronted by the guys who guard it. Maybe you can get Lawrence involved too. Let me know how it goes.

Visual stimulation

Finally, a major reason for going is to find your own personal library hottie. There are more attractive people in one building than should be legal so this should be easy. The person you choose has to be studious/sociable enough for you to guarantee their library presence (and they must be someone new, i.e. not Lawrence). Once you have chosen give them a nickname, make up their story and start fantasising about your lives together. You may even meet him/her a party one day, you never know.

Engage in a few or all of these motivating activities and you’ll soon be ready to ‘study’.

Photograph ©Inés Cardôso