A couple of weeks into the new year, the one thing on every student’s mind is exams. Crowds of panicking students flock to the library every day, trying to make up for the work they did not do in the first semester.
In an attempt to help students in these stressful times, the University Students’ Council (KSU) and the University library have extended the library’s opening hours for January. While this was certainly appreciated by all students, the initiative can only offer a little help to the hordes overcrowding the library every day.
The limited number of places leads students to fill the spaces between bookshelves and try to make themselves comfortable on the floor. Noise is rampant in the non-silent study areas. Consequently, students find it hard to work.
In a desperate attempt to drill some knowledge into their minds, students flock to other areas, such as the IT Services building. Before long, these areas too are packed and noisy.
A possible solution would be to make certain hours at the IT Services building silent hours during the exam period to offer students better working conditions. But this does not solve the problem of lack of space.
The University is a huge area, and some of the larger lecture halls are not always occupied. With the advent of the internet, it is easy to circulate a timetable detailing when these halls are not being used, so that students could study there.
Temporary study areas could also be set up in some of the open spaces around University. Although still noisy, at least students would have a proper desk and chair to study on.
The extended hours initiative has helped students who cannot study in the mornings or at home. But after January, the library is less accessible. While libraries in many foreign universities are open 24 hours a day, the University library opens at 9am and closes at 8pm on weekdays, and 12.15pm on Saturdays, and does not open at all on Sundays and public holidays.
The Melitensia and periodicals departments, which are not open during the extended hours, close for some time at midday.
One must bear in mind that certain students, particularly postgraduate students who work during the day, also need to study and research.
Keeping the library open longer during exam period is a good first step in assisting students as they face the challenges their courses pose. But more can be done to help them be more effective and for the University to keep up its reputation as an institution that has its students’ best interests at heart.
Daniel Cossai is a first year BA English and Communications student and a writer at Insite Malta.