Preparing for competitive exams and want to study without any distractions? Head to the Anna Centenary Library and join a group of like-minded students. The self-studies section in the library has a lot to offer — study materials, mock tests and interactive sessions organised by the staff members
CHENNAI: It’s 4 am. The roads are empty. and the street lights are on. The city is still asleep…some slowly waking up for their early morning shift. But there’s one place that’s crowded and bustling with activity during these wee hours. The Anna Centenary Library, Kotturpuram. There’s a long line of students queuing up outside the library, and at the crack of dawn, ready with their books and other stationery for the library to open to start studying.
That ’ s right! These are students wanting to self-study at the quiet confi nes of the library before it opens to the public. As the morning light shines through, the number swells. The students are either sitting on the porch of the entrance or on the footpath studying. At fi rst, it might seem that they are preparing for an exam, but no. This is an everyday feature here. Most of these students wait outside the library from 3.30 am, to get the best seat for self-study in the ‘own book reading section’ which is open from 8 am to 9 pm. Students prefer coming here because of it’s peaceful environment and has no distraction. Also, seeing someone else study motivates others too! As they get the seats on a fi rst-come-fi rst-served basis, they come here even before sunrise to get a token.
The ‘own reading section’ began in 2010. Most of these students are preparing for competitive examinations and sometimes, there are students of Class 12 and colleges too. Many of them have been coming here for three years. Jeremiah C John (22) who completed BTech is preparing for Indian Engineering Service (IES). He has cleared the prelims, and is now preparing for the mains. He has been visiting the library for nearly a year. “There is silence. It gives a morale boost when I see everyone studying seriously. I usually stay here till 9 pm,” he says, adding that before the token system was introduced students used to fi ght for the best seats.
Now the students register their names and are given tokens accordingly. “I was inspired to come here after I saw some Class 12 students visiting the library everyday to study,” he says. The section has three kinds of seats. The fi rst section has 80 seats, which the students claim is very comfortable. There are 40 in the second section, and 30 more in the third. Kadambari who is preparing for CA said the main attraction to this library is the facility and the available books. “We can only take notes from the books. We can’t take them. At home, I get distracted easily; so I choose to come here and study,” she says. Pushpit Chhajer from T Nagar, who is preparing for GMAT, says the best part of this section is that there are people from different backgrounds.
“I am inspired to prepare here. Many students have rented a room in a hostel or stay as PG near the library. In our rooms, usually there is a lot of noise that’s distracting and often irritating,” he says. His friend Anmol Kumar Thakur, who is preparing for UPSC, says that the best time to study is from 4 am to 8 am. “Initially, when I used to come at 4 am, I was ridiculed by other students. But now they come here with me to study,” he smiles. “Here the students inspire each other. To prepare for the UPSC, you need determination, dedication and tenacity. So this is the best place for me to study,” he adds. Walk into the ‘best’ room that seats 80 students and you will notice students buried behind thick books and laptops, taking notes, and solving equations.
It seems as though the books and the laptops have cast a spell on them. Only the whir of the AC and footsteps are audible. A few of the tables reserved for persons with disabilities. The other two rooms are smaller. According to the staff, the management need not make any special rule. The students are keen on maintaining silence. “They are mature enough and make sure they disturb no one. They are sincere,” they claim. “They have groups based on the exam they are appearing for.
They discuss and share materials but they do that quietly.” The library also organises many competitive exams and arranges lecturers if requested by students. “We organise team discussions and also provide extra reading material for these students. We circulate the programmes and discuss about it in the common mail groups,” she adds. S Vivek, who is preparing for CA, says this library has helped many become bureaucrats, doctors and accountants. “This is the best place in Chennai for self-studies,” he smiles.