Exams Exams Exams

So this was the last day of exams. I am very very glad that they are over. Taking finals here is nothing like the USA. Imagine when you took the SATs, it's more strict then that.

When I walked into my first exam last Monday I was taking it with people who were in their final year. There weren't any instructions. We just waited outside the door, looked up our seat number then went in. Once we entered no on talked. The exam papers were already on the tables. Jackets, coats, scarves, purses, bags, everything was put at the front or back of the room. When it was 9:15am exactly the test began. Then you have to fill out a form that they come around and collect that says your name, school id # and what seat you're sitting in. You also have to leave your school id on the table because someone comes and checks your face with the picture.

So this was the last day of exams. I am very very glad that they are over.

My first exam was in the Great Hall, I did take my jacket off and put it at the front of the room. That was a mistake, they don't heat the great hall. My second test was located in what is called the communal cafeteria. There are also places called Communal Dance, Communal Bar, and Communal Cafe. These four places were actually The Basement, where Friday night discos are held. It was a bit weird to be taking my exam in the same location that I meet up with the squash guys for socials.

It's going to be over a month before we get our marks back. The professor first marks all the papers. Then a selected few get sent to a professor at another university to mark. Then if it seems like the first professor has marked them fine then the grades go on to the exam board. Then I'd hope that we'd be notified of our grades, but I'm still unsure of how that's going to happen. I do know that my grades have further scrutiny as they have to get translated into US terms here. Then they are sent to the Long Beach IP office who has to translate them into actual classes and then into quarter credits.