Mugging madness
Until I came to Singapore to study, I never knew that to mug meant to study intensely. (I also didn't know that to revise meant to review, as in "revise your notes for the exam") That I can easily attribute to British English here, but what I never knew about University life that I only learned here is that mugging, especially the week before exams, is THE way of life.
Never have I seen the many floors in libraries virtually overflowing with people. And that was even until around 10pm, when the library closes, too! Theoretically, many of Singaporeans are supposed to be at home, or in their hostels, as classes have finished, but no, they were in the library most of the day to mug like mad. The Yusof Ishak House, the center of student affairs activities of sorts, even extended its study room opening hours to 24 hours, just for the exam period and the revision week. It's a BIG colorful study room, well-designed (as are most of NUS buildings and function areas) and exudes a certain cool and funky vibe, such that studying there wouldn't make you seem like a nerd (or maybe that's just me).
So Ferron and I, after mugging at the Central Library till past 9pm, were off to YIH. We watched Survivor at 10PM in the comfy TV lounge (I told you YIH was a cool place), and proceeded to the study room.
It was my first time to actually mug there, and MY GOD. It was like the Arts Canteen during lunchtime! And it was Friday night too! I told Ferron I suddenly had the motivation to study! It's not that I'm getting more competitive, but I suddenly realized that mugging like mad IS the way to survive here. The posh Munchie Monkey Cafe near the study room had a special "exam menu", in fact, available from midnight to 9AM! Whooo. Definitely peak season for the vending machines too.
Ferron left at 1AM, and still the study room was full! I was making very little progress on my Probability notes, and decided I wouldn't go home till I reached page 200 (I originally planned till page 250, but by then my head would've burst). I dozed off a while, and when I woke up past 2, the crowd was still there! Such dorks, I had told Ferron earlier. To which he commented that the nerds and dorks were not here since they had all studied too diligently throughout the semester, and here were the crammers (us included).
The crowd finally thinned around 3AM, but still, a good 1/2 to 3/4 of the big, multilevel study room was still filled. I forced my brain to accept the snippets of Joint Probability density functions and Gamma distribution, before I finally decided to walk quite a long way home to Kent Ridge Hall at 4AM. Still, muggers were at work as I left.
I passed the Central Forum, and there were quite a few muggers sleeping on the benches with their notes scattered on the desks. My bag was heavy with my Statistic notes and a hardbound book, and I was carrying a stack of NUS Choir musical scores that, as Records Sec, I was supposed to keep.
I arrived hall, my arms suddenly numb, a headache in progress. Just the same, I think I'm headed for YIH again tonight. I've given up on my room as a study area already. :D
The happy mugger makes the grade! Jia you everyone!
