admin June 19th, 2008
Sigh…
It just keeps getting better…
—
Dear students,
As many of you would be aware we have had two major incidents during this exam session which have caused considerable disruption for many of our students.
The first was a deliberately lit fire in the early hours of Wednesday 18 June 2008 which damaged the Kingsford Room in the Squarehouse Building. Due to limited time and the early hour of the fire, we were unable to consult examiners about alternative exam locations and hence cancelled a number of exams schedule for the Kingsford Room.
Notice of the cancelled exams was posted at the Squarehouse all students. Schools and Faculties were also advised by email and phone. Yesterday an email was sent to students scheduled to sit exams in the Kingsford Room from 19 June onwards for the duration of the exam period, advising of the new venue details.
The second incident involved the Pavilion at Randwick Racecourse (AJC), with acoustic roofing panels falling from the ceiling just prior to the commencement of exams. Exam papers had not been distributed and by the time the AJC set up an alternative venue at Randwick, it was too late to restart the exams as they would not have finished before the afternoon exams were scheduled to start. As the incident happened during normal working hours we were able to contact examiners.
We are currently working on alternate dates and times for the cancelled exams and students will be advised as soon as these times have been set. All consideration is being given to minimise the impact on students.
—
My final exam timetable, which I happily tell people about when trying to help them feel less pressured/stressed, are as follows:
- 13/06 MICR3041 (Immunology)
- 16/06 BIOC3111 (Molecular biology of proteins)
- 18/06 BIOC3261 (Molecular biology of nucleic acids: theory paper)
- 18/06 MICR3081 (Bacteria and Disease)
- 19/06 BIOC3261 (Molecular biology of nucleic acids: practical paper)
And the 2 incidences described in the email…?
18/06 (Bacteria and Disease) just so happened to be in the Kingston Room, hence, was moved to the following day on the 19/06 after my scheduled exam.
Disruption?
After a distressing journey getting to the venue (that involves buses arriving at different stands at an unregulated fashion + many stressed out students trying to get to the racecourse) for my 8:45am exam today (19/06) and reaching the Pavillion with hardly any time to spare, we got organised, seated and everything.
I was looking forwards to this exam, ready to get it over and done with… When suddenly a roof panel collapsed from the roof. Some starting freaking out, others started laughing, and the remainder just sat quietly, waiting for the papers to be handed out.
And tumbles down another roof panel, directly onto a student’s table (Thank God she was okay), and the supervisors & co. decided to evacuate us out of the room. We waited until further notice, which was we later found out was to be rescheduled.
I was supposed to finish today… but it has been eventful I guess… 2 cancellations in 2 consecutive days, when the chances of them happening are slim to none.
Deliberately lighting up fire?
Someone was certainly angry… No further comment on that one…
Roof panels collapsing?
Shouldn’t've happened, end of story.
How? Don’t ask.
Why? No idea.
Who? No one is to blame for that. Just pure bad luck on my behalf, methinks, which has certainly been for me, even just randomly.
On top of all that, I did really, realy, really badly in bacteria and disease (rescheduled from yesterday) due to lack of study time…
But whatever happen happens, right?
Right?
Anyone?
Sad sigh.
