why the need for GSR's when you have....

A BIG hello to all our Stressed friends back home

If you don't know if we're referring to you..

Here are some unmistakable symptoms...

If you are on the verge/or have already started pulling your hair out, profusely banging your head on the table, spouting vulgarities in the library, putting Oscar the grouch out of a job, furiously flipping pages to the back of the book to see how far more you have to go, where coffee is no longer a hey-lets-chill-out-chit-chat-over-coffee kind of affair but rather a potent tool to fiercely keep yourself awake, the immense guilt you procure the next day when you realize you had a whooping 7 hours of sleep, listlessly and soul-lessly dragging your feet around the library, pimps /eyebags galore, snacking like you've never snacked before and in the process leaving your one nice Hansel and Gretel like trail all over the library (shame on you!), the inability to keep still and nervously fidgeting on the bus ride home thinking about the 70% you've yet to conquer...

Well, I heard from some SMU colleagues that its exam week back in Singapore now huh? Hang in there my dear friends. We'll fight the battle together despite being mountains and seas apart, as our Maastricht days are looking oh so similarly bleak now.

At UM, teachers are infamously known for unhesitatingly deviously failing students without the bat of an eyelid and some courses even have notorious reputations of having pass rates as low as a disgustingly 56%! Like what Justin says "Its either you or the guy next to you" and like angs would shriek "Hellpppppppppp damn grosssss". Poh and I being fighters have decided to not concede defeat and unleash our Singaporean pugnacious study styles and smack this exam left right and centre. We're going to study so seriously for the exams, look it in the eye come Sat and Mon and like a Pacman game, try to avoid all the evil Gui alien'ish immigrant characters and just focus on eating up the maximum number of yellow little dots which we consider marks to be earnt.

And in our game plan, we definitely want the best for the other Singaporeans here as well. Thus, in our 'All for one, one for all' unity cheer, Poh and I have revamped our room a little. Singapore's more of a collectivistic society afterall, aren't we?

Our efforts were all in the good spirit of forming a communal library where Singaporeans or anyone interested for that matter, can cluster in our comfort home this whole week and in their preparation for their journey to Awesomeness.

PohLee Library Official Opening Ceremony (30th March 2007): Joining of tables in the middle of our room to form a conducive pseudo library/GSR atomosphere which facilitates self & peer learning to the optimum level, now*say that in an educator like voice*

The crowd usually flows in around 2.30pm after having lunch. PohLee library is a popular choice only because We Care. Every morning, we conscientiously sweep/mop the quarters, make the pathways free from debris (scrambling to dump an accumulation of clothes into the cupboards), convenient toilet amneties, gossip sessions which puts you on the edge of your seat, delicious and varied snack flow, clean filtered water supply (which Poh and I make it a point to boil water and fill it up in countless waterbottles before opening hours *proudful glee*). The studious gang will then stay for a little hearty pot-luck dinner with food contributed by all students of the library. At this time, books, notes, block books, laptops, pens, eraser shavings, wasabi peas (who did it, own up now), pencil lead (who did it, own up now), will be strewn onto the floor to make way for the glorious food. The gift of the gab will be working for yet another hour, and then its back to work into the wee hours of the morning or ahem until the librarians (Poh and Lee) get sleepy, before students head back to their respective nests to hibernate.

Rising up to the occasion we are.
Till the next visit to the PohLee library!