Students blast ‘laughable’ exam timetables

Angry students have called for the university to alter exam timetables after a technical issue meant original schedules were discarded.

The mix-up was the result of a software malfunction which meant timetables were incorrectly generated, leaving some students with two exams in one day.

Students were sent replacement timetables on Monday – but many are now calling for the university to revert to the old schedules.

Third year Kristine Storegraven, who has now been left with an exam the day after her dissertation deadline, said: “I think it is ridiculous that the university would put any third year exam so close to the dissertation deadline. This is the year that counts the most, and it’s not fair for the uni to compromise my possibility of achieving a high mark by doing so.

“I think moving my exam to a month earlier is absolutely ridiculous. A week or two would be fine, but now I effectively have no time to revise with several massive deadlines in the same week.

“I don’t know about reverting back to the original timetable as many students were unhappy with that as well, but I am positively sure that moving exams four weeks back could have been avoided, and should have been a priority, at least for third years.”

But students from other schools are reluctant to see the new timetable replaced. Biological Sciences student Caroline Little said: “I’m personally glad about the change, as I now no longer have two exams in the week after my dissertation is due, plus two more in the weeks after that.

“Trying to revise for four exams while simultaneously writing my dissertation is going to be stressful anyway, but at least now I have a little more time.”

The university is yet to officially comment, but a formal letter – which students can sign – will be sent for consideration by Undergraduate Education Officer Connor Rand.

Rand – who also sits on the university’s Timetabling Group – said: “Despite repeated reassurances at all of the University Committees where these issues are discussed, both the communication and the reality of this year’s exam timetabling have been laughable.

“Students have been messed around at just the time that they want to focus on revision, and many have incurred huge costs that we will now be seeking redress for.

“Even after the software glitch, schoolboy errors like scheduling a big Politics exam on the day after the General Election, or scheduling major Pharmacy exams immediately after dissertation hand in just beggar belief.

“The Union will be calling for a full enquiry into the problems, compensation for students that have incurred costs and new standards for exam timetabling in the future.

“We would urge any student that has been affected by the chaos to contact the Union Advice Centre.”