Hay fever and exams

Apparently some journo is claiming that students fake symptoms to get extra scores in exams.

Maybe its a good idea....

The doctor for This Morning says he's on our side though:
http://www.thefamilygp.com/hay-fever-exam-scam.htm

Anybody got any comments?

Reply 1

amywalters

1

Thats outrageous! I suffered from such a bad illness during my exams!!! I got so so so stressed and depressed and low and i felt so bad i stopped eating and everything - talk about being anxious or what. But thats stupid!

Reply 2

sarahb

it fustrates me actualy! people should just get on with it, everyone has to sit exams and everyone gets stressed about it, deal with it! its part of life. and using hayfever as an excuse is just stupid!! they could at least pretend to have something more severe!

Reply 3

zorgit

OP

That's one point, but the doc says (and I quote):

"Now I have been a GP working amongst students in Manchester for the past 30years, and my impression is that few students try to use medical problems as excuses to gain points in their examination results. What I can say is that those with hay fever, rarely use that as an excuse for their poor exam results. In fact, hay fever should be a major consideration for those students who are sufferers!!

Indeed, research published in 2005 by the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit at University College Worcester found that hay fever has a significant negative effect on student's exam performance.

Students at Cambridge University appeared to be the most affected, with 63% producing lower grades than their average on high or moderately high pollen count days. "

So it's a scientific fact or something.

Reply 4

randomuser#6

sneeze to put everyoen off.

Reply 5

Mr_Deeds

13

A friend from school is being given anywhere up to 20% dispensation becuase she suffers from hay fever. I will add that she has a very severe form which actually prevents her from being able to see and focus properly. I guess in her case it is justified that she has special consideration because of these cirumstances. It's definitely possible though, I doubt doctors carry out any thorough investigation when they consider students for dispensation, and in which case many probably do fake symptoms and get away with it. I still maintain however that special consideration is a good idea, when implemented properly it actually makes exams more fair.

Reply 6

ciara

13

sarahb

i think you also need to take into account that a LOT of people suffer from hay fever, so it would get ridiculous if the majority of students are awarded extra marks!

you clearly have no idea just how severe hayfever can be. during my gcses i could hardly see the paper, i got through an entire box of tissues and was feeling so groggy, it really slowed me down. i didn't claim extra marks but i wish i had, i deserved them! most people have mild allergies, but severe hayfever isnt so common and certainly merits consideration by exam boards. grr.

Reply 7

OllieA

I get awful hayfever, usually exactly at exam time. It really does put you off and the last thing I want to do when I'm bunged up, with puffy eyes and a runny nose is write essays for a few hours.

Reply 8

zorgit

OP

Well, Dr Chris says:
"Hay fever can make you feel very ill, and you just can't perform at your best, despite taking the latest medications. I reckon that most students with hay fever do not use their condition as an excuse to boost their exam results - I should know i've been looking after students for most of my professional career - 36 years, and they all seem a very decent buch of guys. Some will try to buck the system, but most do not. In fact, most of those with problems such as hay fever would never think of using such an excuse to gain an advantage - they just use their eye drops and nasal sprays and get on with life!!"

By the way, he also has a section specific to teenagers and young adults:
http://www.thefamilygp.com/young-people.aspx

So if you any problems maybe you could ask him about them.

Reply 9

Slates

sarahb

i think you also need to take into account that a LOT of people suffer from hay fever, so it would get ridiculous if the majority of students are awarded extra marks!

Hayfever has affected my performance in public exams for the past 3 years (GCSE/AS/A2). I have often spent almost as much time blowing my nose as I do writing. In a 45 minute exam, a teacher once counted how many times I blew my nose and the result as 32. Pretty standard score for me I felt.

On one particular occasion, on the day before my final economics module, my eyes was so red and painful that I was unable to open them far enough to revise (read), for an entire hour. This is despite my use of at least two medicines to combat the symptoms. I have even sturggled in january modules, as my condition is Chronic Rhinitis (basically hayfever all year round).

I waste so much time in exams messing with tissues and handkerchiefs, and by doing lose concentration more than would be ideal. I feel it is just as valid a reason to get extra time as dyslexia is, if not more - dyslexics will always be so, and wont get extra time in the workplace - whereas for 8/9/10 months of the year, most hayfever sufferers can work normally!

Hay fever and exams

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