Semester 1 exams

[pea]

I can't be the only one out there who finds the timing of these exams stupid and frustrating.

I personally never manage to do as much revision as I want due to the Christmas holidays. Generally, we get a few days of the holiday, then christmas, then a few days, then new year, then a few days to recover. There is possibly a logical reason for having them after the Christmas holidays and not before, but I fail to see it. Other uni's manage to start a week after us, and have their exams before Christmas.

I just feel like having a rant as my exams are in a week and I only started revision today.

Opinions?

[hr]

I'm a little pea... I love the sky and the trees.

[harmless loony]

I don't see the issue you have here - it's not like these exams have been sprung on you by suprise no? You know way back in September that the semester 1 exams are in January so you just make sure you organise things around that.

Last year (04/05) I decided to concentrate for my exams and chose to stay up in St Andrews over xmas and new year to study. If the exams are important then you can sacrifice a few days of fun and then make up for it after the exams.

I personally prefer this format. By fitting them in at the end of semester before the hols - it means you have to strike out 2 weeks of lectures/tutorials which means you have 2 weeks less to learn things. Additionally, a lot of us have our continuous assessments due in in the last 2 weeks of semester - so it's nice that once all that is handed in I only have to worry about the exams and nothing else. If it was in the way that you suggest then we'd have lots of complaints on the sinner about how everything is happening at once.

What is 4 xmas' of studying for a decent degree at the end of it? So you won't have the fun you normally have but you can make up for it in the years after your degree.

[grousefanatic]

I'm very used to exams at this time of year (have had January tests since primary school) but that doesn't make them easier. I really don't like this time of year, and it always makes revision hard and unattractive (if it ever were).

I only started my work today, I'll be fine am sure, but it won't stop me whinging about exams and revision hehe, in fact a good rant about it only encourages me to pick my books up more. Only one more set of January exams after this to go though...

[hr]

veni vidi nates calce concidi - i came, i saw, i kicked ass

[womble chris]

Quoting harmless loony from 17:10, 5th Jan 2006
it means you have to strike out 2 weeks of lectures/tutorials which means you have 2 weeks less to learn things.

So you won't have the fun you normally have but you can make up for it in the years after your degree.

firstly, have those 2 weeks in january to make up for it. maybe start 1st semester a week earlier to help make up for imbalance in number of weeks in each semester

secondly, we can have far more fun now than we will later in life when we realise that the fun times are over and the grind of a dull job with 5 weeks holiday a year.

[harmless loony]

Speak for yourself womble chris - not all of us are planning to have a dull life after graduation...but if that's where your expectations lie then fair does.....

I enjoy the inter semester break - it's a proper break - where I can go on holiday for off peak prices.......and enjoy my birthday in peace.

But if you have come through the A Level system surely you should be used to january exams?

I just don't see the point of all these moans - you just have prioritise things properly - it's no big deal.....and I'd prefer my summer holiday to be left alone with - starting a week earlier back at uni would have prevented me from taking the internships that I have taken the past 2 years as they have always finished 2 days before uni restarts.

Everyone has been managing fine all these years - why change it for a few people?

[womble chris]

Quoting harmless loony from 18:28, 5th Jan 2006
But if you have come through the A Level system surely you should be used to january exams?

I just don't see the point of all these moans ?

so if ive gone through a childhood of being raped by my dad, i should be used to it? Well, i probably would be used to it, but it wouldnt stop me moaning. And i think both have good reasons. The latter is that whenever i have exams i hate them, as they are now, i am therefore going to moan about having them now as i would rather have them before christmas or in february, just so i dont have to spend today trying to revise and instead spending my day on the internet delaying revision.
short term minded i know, but thats human nature for you.

[the reason for the word w]

You compare exams to being raped? I guess you qualify as another one of those annoying, possibly even offensive individuals we are not going to ban. Or are we? No? Yeah? Whatever... it won't make stupidity extinct!

[hr]

Are you a terrorist?
- Depends! Are you terrified?

[womble chris]

not a one off rape, being repeatedly raped.

same as exams, repeated exams.

same as the dentist, having to go there every 6 months.

same as having to see dull parents friends every few months.

all are the same in the sense that no matter how many times it happens, you still will hate to do it/it done to you and complain about it, even though you are used to it.

that was my response to why i am complaning about having january exams. im used to having exams in january, but i still hate and moan about them.

[Guest]

you dont need to work over the holiday as the university is kind enough to give us a revision week which is ample to do all the work in.

stop moaning.

[Yeats]

I admit that the inter-semester break can sometimes be a bit annoying, however it is necessary to allow the January Exams to be marked by tutors and lecturers.

[hr]

Some day we shall be glad to remember such things

[grousefanatic]

Quoting womble chris from 22:15, 5th Jan 2006
same as exams, repeated exams.

same as the dentist, having to go there every 6 months.

oooh now that's a good analogy for exams, got my stomach churning in just the right kind of way.

[hr]

veni vidi nates calce concidi - i came, i saw, i kicked ass