Busy times. Another assignment is due next week and within three weeks I have taken my other two finals. Need to turn up the study volume. Until the end of June!

I had my first exam this week. I didn’t handle the pressure very well. Once I got the paper with questions I started trembling and it took me time and effort to form sentences and write readable. It didn’t help me either we had to sit side by side with no space in between. We already have to deal with shaking desks, classmates handing in their tests, leaving and the occasional sigh, giggle or cough. On top of that the only-showed-up-once-for-class-person next to me could easily read all my answers. The paranoid highly sensitive person in me nearly snapped. The test itself went relatively okay. I only didn’t have a clue about one question. I guess now all I can do is wait. Though letting go is harder than it seems.

Yesterday I was exhausted. I couldn’t sleep at night due to the massive amount of adrenaline in my body. In the morning I experienced two panic attacks, because my mind was playing tricks on me. I now realize I crossed my boundaries the past days in order to be fully prepared for my exam. Fear of failure is something intense. I’m still a horrible mess today and will need more rest to unwind.

Today is World Book and Copyright Day. A range of well-known and significant writers either were born or died around 23 April, among others Vladimir Nabokov and William Shakespeare. Therefore the UNESCO’s General Conference chose this date to pay tribute to books, authors and copyright laws. Let us celebrate! I’m consuming Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins at present. What are you reading?

The topic of illiteracy has been showing up more than once recently. There is a notable paragraph on it in the article I have to write a paper about. And yesterday I finally got around to watch The Reader, a haunting tale about shame, guilt, abuse, justice and illiteracy. If you can’t read, you cannot completely participate in society. On top of that you have it harder to fully develop empathy for others, as The Reader skillfully proves. The list of disadvantages goes on. I’m grateful to be educated and able to read, write and think critically.

The last few weeks we made some field trips to different types of libraries. First we visited a cultural heritage library. It was a unique opportunity for us to take a look behind the scenes of a place that holds so many literary treasures. I’m convinced of its purpose and I was quite stunned that they did not have more employees signed on. Unfortunately they rely heavily on allowances and cannot afford any expansion at present. I do hope the authorities grasp the the importance of scientific research to our cultural heritage rather sooner than later.

After that we visited a public library. I believe this is one of the most challenging libraries to manage, since you need to have a wide and balanced collection. Things are not looking bright for the cd and dvd collections in public libraries. As an avid movie lover, I regret this. Video-on-demand stores only offer recent releases, video rental stores are already extinct. If movies disappear from libraries as well, where should we go for renting an older film and aren’t we stimulating illegal downloading that way? I’m aware that there are a lot of sides to this story.

Last but not least we visited our own, small but important, school library. We received our library pass, which will provide us from now on with student discounts and gives us access to professional literature. We got assigned a task, due soon, and our first exam in May is approaching fast. It will surely be busy holidays.