Books distribution

Every female student who has been to UAE University will know what I'm talking about when I say 'the books distribution nightmare'.

Every semester, more than 15 thousand students has to go through a killing routine to get their books, girls faint and other puke from the bad smells, and most of them will be pushed and hurt one way or another and I would guess that most of them will leave with their books and a ripped abaya.

It would be an average of 350 students every hour and so around 5.83 every minute. If there are 3 windows then each one will have to do 1.94 every minute. Thinking of the workers; it's impossible to work smoothly especially that some times are more crowded because of the schedules.

Yes, it was scary going to the building and seeing all these black waves of women fighting to go through because they never heard the term 'in line'.

Students first go to a room where there are 3 computers and one printer and most of the time on the computers won't be working too, they are given a transaction and then they go to another room with 8 windows and give the transaction and wait for their books.

Through out of my years in university, I have been saved from the nightmare one way or another and I only tried once and left with no transaction but with a ruined abaya. My sister would get my books, or I would slip my ID with a friends and she will get me the paper. Last semester I went a week early and when the guy said he can't give me my books I was like 'okay' and was turning to walk away when he spilled his drink and I gave him a tissue so he asked for my ID and my friends' and gave us our books!

I went yesterday to get my books and oh my shock when I saw that they changed the whole system!

It's in the 'gym' which is more than just a gym and I used for many things. You enter and they give you a number and you sit in chairs, which are so comfortable btw. There are 14 windows and extra people who help the 14 at the computers. Over each 'station' there is a screen that shows the number of the student who should go and they also call the number and to which screen.

So I was sitting there with my friend, eating and chatting and we could also have used the internet; why can't student appreciate what they have? I heard some students complaining that they have to wait 'forever' to get their books! I left with my books around 20 minutes after I came in, last semester I would have waiting for at least 2 hours! I honestly felt like slapping all these whiny girls!

It's interesting how they changed from a 1990's system to a 2006 system in one semester!