The Seated, the Sat, and the Searching

Sadly, the time has come. You’ve asked too many people in your module if they’ve started that assignment and they all answered smugly in the affirmative, which means that now it is your turn to, as the kids say, lock in. So what better place to crank out that essay, project, or presentation than the Main Library? The embracing ambience of the academically driven and highly stressed is sure to inspire and motivate, right? The issue at hand is that there are too many eager students and not enough space to hold them all.

I, like you, have experienced the humiliation to end all humiliations, aimlessly wandering around the multiple floors of the library desperately seeking a vacant throne. Working in the library sounds fun until you get there and discover that there’s absolutely no place for you, and there’s no guarantee that there will be soon. 

Sometimes, if not always, it feels as though one must enter the library with a distinct location in mind and courage in one’s heart. Before you infiltrate, it is vital to have a visual of the target, an understanding of the obstacles, and a contingency plan for when you inevitably cannot find a place to sit. With all these tools at your disposal, you are ready to enter the battleground, maintaining a sense of palpable ambition as you step into the arena. After all, only the strong survive to find a seat. 

Odds are you did not win the battle and now have to resign yourself to sitting anywhere, struggling to balance your laptop while sitting on the arm of some desolate couch. You feel envy bubbling as you stare at someone reclining in their chair, passively scrolling on their phone. If you were in that seat, you would be studying with the passion of a thousand suns. But ah, what a shame, you didn’t make it in time and now you look dim-witted as you squat in the corner, trying to figure out if that one person is going to be here for a long time or simply a good time. 

Truthfully, I think the lack of space in the library deters anyone from studying. If you’re already not in the mood but are trying to boost your productivity, you may want to pop in, just to check. Do not make this rookie mistake — it will only result in disappointment and inevitable extinguishment of any productive urge. It's a real struggle to try and motivate yourself to get work done when it feels as though the cards are stacked against you. The stress of needing to get stuff done but having nowhere allowing you to be productive feels immensely frustrating. If the library is meant for studying and I can’t find any place to study in the place meant for studying, then I think it reflects somewhat poorly on the state of our accommodating resources. 

How can a school that boasts about its academic rigour not adequately support its students to meet its expectations? I understand that there are dedicated libraries for people’s specific subjects, because clearly they are necessary. However, the Main Library stands as a clear staple for a majority of students and so should be able to accommodate them. Moreover, to those telling me that it is not so bad if you arrive when it opens, go ahead and log off. I’m proud of you for finding that personal solitude which encourages arising at such an early hour to get your assignments done but unfortunately that is just not in my cards. I choose my own story, and my story does not involve a 7am wake up time. Instead I ask: Is St Andrews willing to change their story to include a place with sufficient study space for all?

Image from Wikimedia Commons