Study Time Means Quiet Time

As a Mount Royal student for the last three years, I have spent a significant amount of time on campus. Typically between classes (sometimes before or after as well), I spend my time here studying, or working on assignments. My preferred areas to do this are the silent reading rooms. They are great for the large tables readily available, you can eat your lunch in there, and really just have a great, comfortable place to study.

That is, most of the time.

Every so often, some new faces come through and seem to not notice or just ignore the signs that say “SILENT READING AREA”. A handful of times a month, you’ll get a few students who burst in the door as if they are entering a loud restaurant. They yell at each other and laugh obnoxiously as if there are voices or noises that need to be spoken over. While I’m sitting across the room quietly, focused on my work at hand, seeing this is like the gears in my brain coming to drastic halt. I start to feel my heart start beating faster, my face starting to flush. I can’t focus on anything but them.

Most recently this happened to me while I was trying to cram to finish my homework in time for it when it was due, next period. For me, this requires my full concentration. I hear the rumbling vibrations of noise through the window that separates myself, and a group of rowdy teenagers storming through the hall. As I look over at them in disgust, my stomach sinks as I see them heading to the door of the reading room I am in. The five of them crowd together outside the door, and suddenly the volume of their voices goes up ten fold and echoes through the room as the door opens. The group of students finally chooses a seat, of course, at the table nearest to myself.

They don’t seem to notice everyone’s eyes on them. They are too self-involved with each other’s jokes and hilarity to notice how they are interrupting everyone. I’m sitting very nearby, staring right into their eyes, hoping I can telepathically convey a message to them to be quiet. Much to my expectation, my efforts go unnoticed, and they continue disrupting the room. I start to imagine a situation where I walk over to their table confidently and smoothly lay down the law. But of course, that never happens.

So I just sit there, and continue letting their behavior agitate me, until I cave in and pack up all my things and move locations. By the time I resettle somewhere else, time is running short, and I must work twice as fast to get my assignment done. By this time I am still so frazzled, and annoyed that I can hardly concentrate.

It burns me up to admit these people ruin a good part of my day. These are the people I loathe here at Mount Royal. There are so many areas around campus to study and be social at the same time. But for the sake of common courtesy, if a specific location is labeled as a silent area, take the hint.