During most of the semester, at A&M, the library remains a relatively quiet and uninhabited region of town. Of course there are the occasional moments of chaos, like freshman bio or chem exams, and suddenly you can’t find a seat below the fourth floor. And then there is finals time, when if you don’t wake up early enough you risk not getting a seat at all.
At NUS the library is crowded like finals on a daily basis. Here studying is not just about learning, it is a social event unto itself. Groups of friends claim a table each morning and it acts as a base camp for the rest of the day. They come and go as classes start and end. Most of the time is spent studying but some is reserved for eating or watching a youtube video or laughing or just staring across the room.
As finals neared it only became worse. Final exams count 60% and everyone feels the pressure. There is a full week of reading days followed by exams spread over two weeks. For three weeks my friend and I were in the library 10 maybe 12 hours a day trying desperately not to fail. I am not complaining though, the strategy worked for us both and some of my fondest memories are from during my time on the third floor of the central library.
