When I got the email midway through reading week announcing exam timetables had been released, I anxiously signed into my account praying for a good schedule. Even though I already knew my two exams were online, I was still hoping for good news. Finding out my two exams were more than a week apart from each other, I was left unsure of when to book my flight home. I feel like I have this problem every semester. I’m usually eager to head home and reunite with friends and family, but also don’t want to leave town too early for fear of missing out on the fun here.Â
As you all know, the university waits until half way through the semester to release the exam schedule. I’ve always taken issue with this system because it leaves students unsure of when they’re actually free to go. This impacts everyone, but it’s especially tricky for international students who must book flights early or wait until the schedule comes out and face scarily expensive airfares.Â
Complicating the situation further, is the mix of in person, online and take home exams – remnants of the pandemic’s online teaching. While I’ve been lucky to avoid in person exams all together (thank you School of History), others are not so lucky. While some students are no longer required to be in person after the last day of teaching (November 29), others must show up bright and early for exams on the final day (December 20). This huge disparity means that some students stay in town almost an entire month longer than others.
The timing of online and take-home exams does not help either. The online exams are typically scheduled for 9:30 am or 2:00 pm GMT which may make it difficult if you try to take the exam in a different time zone. For example, this semester I am planning on taking my exam on December 18th at home in California, meaning I will be taking the exam from roughly 1:30 am to 3:30 am (give or take some upload time). While I’m sure this seems crazy to some people, trust me it was not easy making that decision. My other exam is on the 10th. Thus, I decided I wanted to at least stay in town and in a productive study headspace until after that exam. However, staying until after the 18th seemed too long to wait in gloomy weather, separated from family and holiday celebrations.Â
That being said, for those of you staying until the exam diet finishes on December 20th, or perhaps staying in town for the holidays altogether, there is still plenty to do in December. Daylight may be limited, but this makes it all the more important to take advantage of what time we do have. In the midst of mental breakdowns in the library or last minute cramming, it’s important to take care of yourself and spend time outside in the fresh air. I’d recommend a nice sunset walk down West Sands or the annual Balgove Larder Christmas Market for a much-needed dose of Christmas cheer.
Ultimately, there’s no perfect choice. Whether you leave early or stay late, take comfort in the fact that everyone is juggling similar challenges and there’s no wrong way of deciding when to head home.