The 24-Hour Library-a-thon

I walked into the Main Library at 4:55 p.m. on Monday, well aware that it’d be my dungeon until 4:55 p.m. on Tuesday. As I passed through the Black Gates […]


I walked into the Main Library at 4:55 p.m. on Monday, well aware that it’d be my dungeon until 4:55 p.m. on Tuesday. As I passed through the Black Gates of Mordor, I looked for a nifty spot to begin my 24-hour stint of studying, settling on a cosy-looking corner of the ground floor.  The longest day of my university experience began.

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Hour One.

I have been on Facebook for the entire hour. Nothing to report, except it looks like everyone had a stellar time at Christmas Ball last night, while I was here, studying. Whoop-de-fucking-do.

Hour Two.

I’ve organised my e-mail accounts, stacked my books so that they look pretty, written a nice e-mail to my mum to answer her enquires into my love life, and eaten a cookie. Or two.

Hours Three – Five.

The revising has officially begun and I’ve taken to listening to Michael Buble’s Christmas album to get in the merry mood of studying. It’s not working very well … it just makes me want to go into the backwoods of Idaho and chop down a Christmas tree.

Hour Six.

I’ve been joined by fellow members of the Ultimate Frisbee team (a team that studies together, stays together), and my charity tin is getting heavier! The clang of coins dropping is as loud as my nagging Portuguese grandmother, and the guy next to me keeps giving me the stink eye. Buck up, bro, it’s for charity.

Hour Seven.

Taking a break from my rigorous studying, I decided to venture up to Hard-core Level 4 to see what scandals were going on. Let me tell you, St Andrews, there is some ridiculous stuff happening on the top floor of our innocent library. For example, I heard a girl laugh. Out loud. Noisy-ass bitch. Ridiculous.

Hours Eight – Nine.

A change of scenery is needed; I am moving to Level 2. Let’s hope that no one notices me munching a Mars Bar. If they say anything about it, I’ll whack them – they don’t know what I’m going through.

Hour Ten.

I’ve changed into my comfortable clothes, brushed my teeth (I’m particular) and am in a new spot where I can put my feet up on a chair without offending anyone. It’s a good life. Or, as good as it can get for being 2am, in the library.

Hours Eleven – Twelve.

You know that point that you are so tired you are effectively drunk on your own exhaustion? That’s me right now. The yoga I’ve been doing in the DVD section hasn’t been working either … I’m about one hour away from crawling into the foetal position under a table and never coming out. Also the coffee machine is out of order because God likes to laugh at me.

Hour Thirteen.

It’s 5:13 a.m. and I was just woken up from a five-minute nap by one of the worried library staff asking me if I’m okay. I’m on Hard-core Level 4, which I thought would be occupied by hard-working postgrads…but it’s just me. I’m all alone. I feel like I should do something crazy – order Dervish? Blast some Britney at full volume? Let’s get cray.  

Hour Fourteen.

Big Bang Theory study break.

Hours Fifteen – Seventeen.

I’ve just had a surge of energy – getting so much done right now, guys. SO MUCH DONE. I am an International Relations machine. I might be wearing the same clothes as yesterday (the awkward moment when your one night stand is the library), but I am feeling good.

Hours Eighteen – Twenty.

At 7.30am, actual fellow human beings show up. I’m feeling energized. Teresa is getting things done. Teresa is also now referring to herself in the third person, which is only a wee bit troubling.

Hours Twenty-one – Twenty-three.

I’m waning again … time for chocolate. So tired I don’t even know what’s going on, except that I smell like a truck stop and I would cut off my right pinkie toe to go home and take a nice, long shower.

Hour Twenty-Four.
The way that this hour is going by so slowly makes me think that God is trying to punish me for something … probably for cutting off that elderly lady on the way to the coffee machine (bitch was in my way). I don’t care about anything more. I’ve raised over £35 for charity doing this, and now I’m going to go die in my bed. Phone clock just turned to 4:55 p.m. Teresa is out.

You can donate to Teresa’s charity here, and next semester she will be canoeing across Scotland for the cause!