I am writing to express my annoyance with inconsiderate students who hog public places to study for their exams.

I was at Changi Airport's Terminal 3 during the Hari Raya public holiday last month and was unable to find a place to dine. Every restaurant and cafe I went to was teeming with secondary and tertiary students studying for their examinations.

What annoyed me most was that the students were occupying the seats without patronising the restaurants or cafes.

Those who could not secure seats had to settle for the airport's viewing gallery. Students lined the area, sitting on the floor, with their books on the parapet.

Being a student myself, I dare not say I have not 'committed the act' of studying in a cafe. In fact, I quite appreciate the ambience that such places offer me.

Outlets such as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Burger King have been politely tolerant of this practice for a number of years now, allocating off-peak periods for study.

In my opinion, however, the increasing number of students with this study pattern has made it unbearable for the public.

And in the case of Changi Airport, the sight of students sitting on the floor may not go down well with tourists or business travellers visiting our country.

Perhaps schools should provide a more conducive learning environment, suited to the unique studying habits of Singaporeans.

That said, the onus should be on the students to know where studying is appropriate, and where it is not.

Hopefully, actions taken would improve the public's dining experience at the affected eateries.

Yvonne Chen (Ms)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.