As Joan Baur notes that when the going gets tough, the tough get a librarian, this is not any different to makerere university students. Long lines of students are visible at the Main Library struggling to enter the facility for their revisions and preparations ahead of their final semester examinations.

Students arrive so early in the morning and as well come back so early from their lunch for the morning and afternoon sessions of the library respectively. They immediately start lining up in order to secure seats and space for their revision during this period of preparing for their final semester examinations. These lines are so long that it takes some one a minimum of 30 minutes to reach the main entrance to the library if it happens that they joined the line late.

When you enter the main library, unlike in the ordinary days, where there is noise on some levels of the library and some people busy concentrating on their phones, it is not the same during this period. The library is rather punctuated with maximum seriousness and silence that is witnessed from all of its corners. The group study rooms plus other reading areas are filled with students busy revising and researching in a bid to approach their final semester examinations with ease.

“When examinations are near, most of us rush in at all hours to revise our books." noted Arinda Jacob, student of social sciences, as the cause of the long queues at the main library.

Mr. Ndyabahika Simon, security personnel at the main library, attributes the issue of long lines to thorough security checking and approval which they expose to all library users. He adds that an extra mile in security consciousness is taken to safe guard the students against any possible terrorist activities which have been more pronounced during the final examination preparations for many schools across the world. 

“Long library queues simply indicate lack of early preparations by students and it shows that minus examinations, students are not  ready to venture into meaningful research and revision. " says Mr. Rwabu Davis, lecturer at school of Languages, literature and communication.

PHOTO BY MAYOMVWE STEVEN