The Student Room Group

Urgent:Holiday clashing with exams at Oxford?

Hello everyone,

I am about to book my tickets for a flight to Croatia. I'll be holidaying with mates, and need to book the flight by tomorrow or I can't go. The only problem is the flight date is on the same day that term ends at Oxford. I was wondering if I could have prelims exams after Saturday the 15th, the day term ends? Has this ever been known to happen.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: Thanks for the comments guys, but unfortunately I can't go as exams are after term ends. O the university website, it is not stated that exams can take place after term ends, and this can be very confusing for first years.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 1
You're asking whether they will let you take an important university exam before everyone else, just for a holiday? And risk you telling everyone which questions are on it?

That's really not going to happen i'm afraid.
Original post by Blutooth
Hello everyone,

I am about to book my tickets for a flight to Croatia. I'll be holidaying with mates, and need to book the flight by tomorrow or I can't go. The only problem is the flight date is on the same day that term ends at Oxford. I was wondering if I could have prelims exams on Saturday the 15th, the day term ends? Has this ever been known to happen.

Thanks in advance.


Depends what subject you are doing - engineering for example has 7th week exams so I went to the Alps to go kayaking on the equivalent day last year ( one of my peers went to the sailing world champs for her boat type for the whole of 8th week. Other friends were unlucky enough to have 9th week exams.
Reply 3
Original post by nexttime
You're asking whether they will let you take an important university exam before everyone else, just for a holiday? And risk you telling everyone which questions are on it?

That's really not going to happen i'm afraid.


Well, it's not so important as prelims don't count towards the final degree classification. And no, I was asking if the exams took place after the stipulated end of term, the 15th of June. But now that you mention it, if I only had one exam after term ended, I wonder if they'd be willing to allow me to go on holiday and take an exam early.
Reply 4
Original post by Blutooth
Hello everyone,

I am about to book my tickets for a flight to Croatia. I'll be holidaying with mates, and need to book the flight by tomorrow or I can't go. The only problem is the flight date is on the same day that term ends at Oxford. I was wondering if I could have prelims exams on Saturday the 15th, the day term ends? Has this ever been known to happen.

Thanks in advance.


When are your prelims/mods then? You a medic or something with exams after 8th?? and I doubt they'll like that idea for some reason...
Not all subjects do, but Philosophy prelims are almost certainly in 9th week (Tuesday and Friday). It's arguably a bit silly that no-one tells first years that their exams might be after term finishes.

Original post by Blutooth
if I only had one exam after term ended, I wonder if they'd be willing to allow me to go on holiday and take an exam early.
I would be incredibly surprised if Oxford allowed any flexibility with exam sitting, especially just for a holiday.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 6
You could ask a second year doing your subject when their exams were last year, but you can't be sure that they won't have changed it this time around. A lot of people aren't finished with their exams by the 'end' of term (8th week).
Reply 7
Original post by fluteflute
Not all subjects do, but Philosophy prelims are almost certainly in 9th week (Tuesday and Friday). It's arguably a bit silly that no-one tells first years that their exams might be after term finishes.

I would be incredibly surprised if Oxford allowed any flexibility with exam sitting, especially just for a holiday.


Thanks Greg.
Original post by Blutooth
Hello everyone,

I am about to book my tickets for a flight to Croatia. I'll be holidaying with mates, and need to book the flight by tomorrow or I can't go. The only problem is the flight date is on the same day that term ends at Oxford. I was wondering if I could have prelims exams on Saturday the 15th, the day term ends? Has this ever been known to happen.

Thanks in advance.


Maths prelims have always been in 9th week. What subject?

I'm guessing yours aren't on here yet? http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/exams/timetables/ If not they will be later than 6th week as mine are up for that time.
Reply 9
Original post by Blutooth
Well, it's not so important as prelims don't count towards the final degree classification. And no, I was asking if the exams took place after the stipulated end of term, the 15th of June. But now that you mention it, if I only had one exam after term ended, I wonder if they'd be willing to allow me to go on holiday and take an exam early.


No. Just no. On so many levels. Never going to happen.

It may not be "so important" in the sense that it doesn't count towards your final classification, but all the same regulations governing finals also apply to prelims. They're also "public examinations" and passing them is a requirement for entry into the Final Honours School, so yeah, they're very strict about them.

EDIT: Also, PhysPhil timetable is already up here: http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/global/wwwoxacuk/localsites/studentgateway/documents/examtimetables2012-13/CPHP1213T.pdf. Both the philosophy exams are in 9th week.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 10
Why are you asking on TSR and not to your university ?


Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 11
1
Original post by Octohedral
Maths prelims have always been in 9th week. What subject?

I'm guessing yours aren't on here yet? http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/exams/timetables/ If not they will be later than 6th week as mine are up for that time.



Original post by Bezzler
No. Just no. On so many levels. Never going to happen.



It may not be "so important" in the sense that it doesn't count towards your final classification, but all the same regulations governing finals also apply to prelims. They're also "public examinations" and passing them is a requirement for entry into the Final Honours School, so yeah, they're very strict about them.

EDIT: Also, PhysPhil timetable is already up here: http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/global/wwwoxacuk/localsites/studentgateway/documents/examtimetables2012-13/CPHP1213T.pdf. Both the philosophy exams are in 9th week.



Thanks to the above for the info. The issue has been resolved and sadly, I won't be going on holiday :frown:
Reply 12
Original post by Jkizer
Why are you asking on TSR and not to your university ?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Because I needed a quick answer, and the university is probably not open now. Not all exam timetables have been published. Anyway, the issue has been resolved.
Reply 13
Original post by Blutooth
Well, it's not so important as prelims don't count towards the final degree classification. And no, I was asking if the exams took place after the stipulated end of term, the 15th of June. But now that you mention it, if I only had one exam after term ended, I wonder if they'd be willing to allow me to go on holiday and take an exam early.


Ah i see i misunderstood.

They may not be finals, but they are university exams that job offers are sometimes made on the basis of. They are very important.

Your exam timetable will have been available literally years ago - they are always the same each year. I see you've found it already though.

If it makes you feel any better, i've seen numerous cases of medics having to cancel already paid for holidays because of a single unexpected 10 minute viva. It could be worse.
Reply 14
Original post by nexttime
Ah i see i misunderstood.

They may not be finals, but they are university exams that job offers are sometimes made on the basis of. They are very important.

Your exam timetable will have been available literally years ago - they are always the same each year. I see you've found it already though.

If it makes you feel any better, i've seen numerous cases of medics having to cancel already paid for holidays because of a single unexpected 10 minute viva. It could be worse.


Well, I don't know how long ago you think ages ago is, but I suspect you are wrong about that. One of my tutors does most of the timetabling and he was still working on it at the end of last term.

Doesn't make me feel bad. At least I didn't pay for the holiday :tongue:. The negs are annoying though, for such a simple and sensible question.
(edited 10 years ago)

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