Shhhh…ots?

Is it okay to go out during exam period: the question that rears its head every year in January and May.

All is going so well at the start. You settle into a routine, heading to the library bright and early, grabbing a coffee and lunch from the new Forum Costa then get your head down until 5pm hits. Finally, you have dinner then get ready for an early night, starting all over again the next day.

This promising start is something everyone goes through, smugly rejecting Drama students pestering to go out for lunch, thinking to yourself ‘this is the year.’

However, suddenly, people start finishing their exams. You have two weeks left, and find yourself jealous, settling down for a night in the library because your friends are too busy having fun and running off to Arena.

This is the time the age old conundrum hits you the hardest. How much will a night-out really affect your exams?

Exeter Drop has composed for you a list of excuses on both sides of the argument, ready for you to whack out to reason with your friends that you can’t go out, or for you to reassure yourself with whilst you start on your 3rd pint.

Reasons for:

1. Everyone needs a break during exams.

Realistically, if you are staying awake until 1am watching repeats of Gossip Girl then what is the harm of spending this wasted time busting some moves in Timepiece instead? Let’s be honest, if you’re procrastinating anyway (for example, writing Exeter Drop articles in a desperate attempt to avoid any more historical dates) what’s the harm in taking your procrastination to a new level? As long as you don’t have an exam looming and don’t over-drink, this should not affect your revision schedule the next day.

2. If you are a first year then I'm not really sure why you're reading this article.

Unless you really are in danger of failing, put down your pen, grab some friends and go out and enjoy Rococo’s now. YOUR EXAMS BARELY COUNT (Disclaimer: Exeter Drop will not take responsibility for any first years that upon reading this gave up on revision, went out and failed all their exams).

3. Some of you will have outrageously spaced out exams.

If, for instance, you have an exam on the 15th then another on the 23rd, there is not too much harm in going out after your first one, so long as the following day you crack on with revision and remain driven for the rest of the week. A quick celebration after one exam can actually give you the needed focus for the rest of them.

Reasons against:

1. Quite obviously, university exams are important.

If you are the kind of person who can’t do nights out half-heartedly then going out between exams may result in you flirting with a 2:2. One anonymous second year history student told Exeter Drop about her most recent night out this term. She ‘went out with the premise of drinking little and being home early to start revision early the next day.’ Whilst she did get carried home by 11pm, it was not in the manner upon which she hoped. Spending the night with her head in the toilet, she woke the next day unable to move, regretting her decision to go out and feeling guilty about all of the revision she should have been doing.

2. Wait until the end of exams.

One massive blow out will make the achievement of finishing exams all the more sweet. Just as you’re told about waiting to lose your virginity to ensure it is special, waiting until finishing your exams will result in a guilt free, alcohol-fuelled blowout, without the prospect of revision the next day hanging over you. Just like your first time, this particular night out of celebration will most likely result in unfortunate early ejaculation(boys, you can’t deny it) – being thrown out of the club for being too drunk. That’s if you even make it in in the first place…

3. If you’re a third year, going out during the most important exam period of your life should probably not be a priority.

As most of you are staying until graduation in July, you have plenty of time to party afterwards. Heads down, focus and good luck!

So there you have it. Six reasons you can use during your exams to decide whether to go to the pub or the Law Library. You decide. Whilst I am aware that I have mainly written this article to justify going out during my exams, best of luck to the rest of you who actually take their lives seriously and see you all in June.