In recent days, I experienced something that made me reflect deeply on the changing study habits of our students. While I was busy with my work at home, I received a WhatsApp message from one of my students. After exchanging greetings, the student asked, “Sir, should I join a library to prepare for my upcoming Class 12 examinations?” This was not the first time I had received such a question. Many students preparing for Class 10, Class 11, Class 12, NEET, and JEE have sought similar advice. Their repeated queries prompted me to think about why students are increasingly leaving their homes to study in so-called “libraries.”
On closer observation, I found that for some students, this shift is understandable. Not every home provides a peaceful study environment. Some students live in crowded houses, some are expected to assist with household responsibilities, while others face constant distractions that make focused study difficult. For such students, a dedicated study space can truly make a difference. However, another trend is equally noticeable. A large number of students who have comfortable homes, separate study rooms, internet access, and supportive families are also moving towards these private study centres.
Interestingly, many of these places are not libraries in the true sense of the word. They often consist only of individual cabins or study desks. They lack books, reference materials, newspapers, journals, magazines, trained librarians, and the academic atmosphere that defines a real library. They are better described as preparation cabins rather than libraries.
Initially, students relied mainly on government public libraries. Today, these preparation cabins are growing rapidly, almost like a mushrooming business. For many youngsters, joining one has become a trend or a fashion, much like the earlier craze for private tuition centres. Often, students join simply because their friends have done so, without asking themselves whether they actually need such a facility.
This reminds me of my own student days. We did not have luxurious study rooms, high-speed internet, or modern facilities. Yet, many of us succeeded through determination and discipline. Two siblings would often study together in a single room, preparing for different examinations. The warmth of home itself became our greatest motivation.
I still remember the silent sacrifices made by our parents. Mothers would prepare tea, kahwa, or noon chai late at night without being asked. During Kashmir’s harsh winters, they would keep a warm kangri ready before dawn. Parents would quietly enter our rooms at night, not to disturb us, but simply to check whether we were still studying or had fallen asleep over our books. If we had, they would gently cover us with a blanket. Those moments reflected love, care, and emotional support that no preparation cabin can ever provide.
Today, I often wonder: Has parental love diminished? Certainly not. Have our homes become less caring? In most cases, the answer is again no. Then why are so many students choosing isolated cabins over the warmth of their own homes? Is it genuine academic need, peer pressure, social trends, or simply a change in mindset?
As a teacher, I spend considerable time in our school library. It is equipped with textbooks, reference books, competitive examination material, newspapers, science magazines, and current affairs journals. I particularly appreciate the efforts of my respected colleague, Mr. Malik Nazir, who strongly advocated enriching our school library with updated literature and reading materials. The school administration wholeheartedly supported this initiative, and today our library offers excellent resources for students. Sadly, despite having nearly 1,200 students, only a handful regularly use these facilities. When I ask students where they study, many proudly reply, “Sir, I study in a private library because I cannot study at home.”
Quite often, this reason is not supported by any genuine academic difficulty. It is important to understand that preparation cabins do have their place. They can be extremely beneficial for students who genuinely lack a peaceful study environment at home. However, they should not become a status symbol or a fashionable destination. Studying effectively depends far more on commitment, discipline, and consistency than on the location where one sits.
Parents also need to remain actively involved. Simply assuming that a child is studying because they have gone to a preparation cabin may not always reflect reality. Regular communication, emotional support, and guidance remain just as important as providing financial assistance. Education is not merely about occupying a study desk for long hours. It is about developing curiosity, discipline, values, and a genuine love for learning. A true library nurtures these qualities through books, discussions, and knowledge. A preparation cabin merely offers space.
Perhaps the need of the hour is not to discourage preparation centres altogether but to redefine our priorities. Let us strengthen our school and public libraries, encourage reading beyond examination preparation, and help students understand that success depends not on where they study, but on how sincerely they study.
Before choosing a preparation cabin, every student should ask one simple question: Am I seeking a better learning environment, or am I simply following the crowd? The answer to this question may shape not only their academic journey but also their approach towards life itself.
The author is an educator and a columnist focused on education, ethics, environment, and emerging social challenges in the digital age.