8 Sounds That Are Only Annoying In The Quiet Section

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The quiet section of the library: a place that provides the perfect silent atmosphere to concentrate on schoolwork.  An atmosphere so quiet, in fact, that your tiniest noise disrupts everyone in the vicinity.

1. Music through headphones

How courteous of you to listen to music through headphones rather than out loud, right?  Wrong.  In the quiet section, everyone knows you’re listening to Justin Bieber’s new album. And not only are they irritated by the distraction, but they are judging your music taste harshly.

2. Uncontrollable Bodily Functions

By this I don’t mean irritable bowel syndrome.  Trust me, a cough or a sneeze in the quiet section is more than enough to earn you a fair share of dirty looks.  And if you still have the gall to blow your nose, expect a confrontation.

3. Eating

Just when you thought the process of opening the bag of chips without making a scene was difficult, you realize that now you have to eat them.

4. Drinking

You will be lulled into a false sense of security until you get to the bottom of the drink.  Once there you will realize that to finish the best-tasting, most sugary portion, you must brave the large chunks of ice that are dying to be jostled and slurped around noisily by your straw.  You must also brave the five minutes of avoiding eye contact with all the people staring at you.

5. Typing

Click, Clack, Click, Clack, CLICK CLACK, CLICKCLACKCLICKCLACKCLICKCLACKCLICKCLACK…

6. Writing

Believe it or not, the crisp, calming sound of your freshly sharpened pencil on a clean piece of paper isn’t so calming to some people.  In fact, that person who asked you to stop typing so noisily may just ask you to start again.

7. Breathing

Hey, sometimes the walk up the stairs can really take a toll on you, or maybe your nose is stuffy and you’re forced to breathe through your mouth, maybe you’re having an asthma attack.  Doesn’t really matter, excessive breathing will not be tolerated in the quiet section.

8. Silence

Yes, unbelievable, but true.  In those few moments when one of the above sounds isn’t occurring, the absolute dead silence of the quiet section is actually the most distracting noise of all.  Contrary to popular belief, it can actually be pretty disconcerting to hear yourself think.