Damn. Uni exam falls right in the middle of my holiday!

[QuestionableMouse]

Posting for traffic.

Uni exam date was released yesterday and it falls right in the middle of my holiday. Though technically it isn't a holiday as I'm away with the local youth group who I've been volunteering with!

I could just about drive back (distance/time wise) but it would mess the ratios up and I'm not sure if I can afford the extra petrol money. Also not sure if I'll have my own car with me. (Was meant to be driving down with all the food but it might be going in the minibus now)

I'm really not sure what to do. It's an important exam so I can't miss it but equally I can't just drop out of the trip because at this point there's no one to replace me. Going into uni today to speak to my lecturer but I'm panicking!

Any ideas?

Ellenborough It's funny - I read/hear all the time about this generation of young adults being entitled, spoilt, with a poor work ethic and in need of hand-holding and spoon feeding and about how university lecturers are pulling their hair out with frustration about the drop in standards and a lack of intelligence/ability/conscientiousness/personal responsibility of the students they teach and I wonder how much truth there is in it.

And then I read something like this thread.

Your comment is misguided. The OP is clearly NOT entitled, spoilt or with a poor work ethic as she is VOLUNTEERING her time to work with children. How is that spoilt or lazy? The OP is guilty of being inexperienced in how things work in business and organisations and not yet realising that there are systems and processes in place that have to be followed. Assuming the OP is not in their 30s or 40s, it is quite likely that they will still have many things to learn. It's called 'being inexperienced'. But damning them for being things that they clearly are not is just nasty. Perhaps YOU could learn a thing or two about humility and kindness.

Wouldn't you have been studying the week before your exam anyway?

In a nutshell then: you volunteer with guides/scouts or similar and they're off on a residential in spring bank half term and you've been counted in for ratios. You now find that you have an exam and don't have the money to travel back for the day (and frankly could do with the revision time anyway).
Volunteers drop out for all kinds of reasons and yours is a very good one. Let the unit know immediately so they can put out feelers for someone else . It won't be necessary to cancel the trip. It only takes a couple of weeks to DBS someone and get them online safeguarding training.
You are being kind to even think twice but you must put your course first.

I have run dozens of residential trips with volunteer helpers. Everyone starts with the best of intentions.
The number of trips I have run where someone doesn't pull out are in the extreme minority. I expect it. Some reasons are perfectly valid, some are a bit flakey, but as you get to know your teams, you get a vibe for who might have to pull out. Anyone with a high pressure job, difficult family situation or a student is likely to pull out. I compensate if I can, by having a larger team than I actually need to start to start with (If i can) and/or have people in reserve I can call on at the last minute (eg if someone is sick)

OP, PLEASE tell your organiser you have to pull out NOW (Sorry to shout) but the longer you give them to sort it the easier it will be to replace you.
Please don't wait til a few days before and say "Oh, I can't come, I have an exam".
I was two days away from a camp with 135 Guides and Rangers a few years ago and two uni students pulled out because they had decided to go to Barcelona instead. They booked it six weeks before and "thought they had told me". I know this is not your situation OP, but please tell your organisers asap and communicate with them.
Communication with your organisation is everything here

I don't think the volunteering can blame you; exam dates are always released quite late, and there's a big window for them, which makes it tricky to predict. Maybe see if you can go down for the second half of the week? That's probably easier with ratios etc than disappearing for a day.

I was actually allowed to sit two exams at a different university (at the same time as the rest of my cohort), but that was because I was filming University Challenge miles away and would have had very little sleep if I'd had to do the travelling! My papers were couriered there and back.

I don’t see how this is even a dilemma for you.
You are paying/ borrowing a lot of money to study at university a course that will hopefully enhance your future employment prospects and you are wondering whether to mess that up, so you can volunteer your time for free ?

A student once informed me that she would be attending Henley Women's Regatta on the date of her exam and that I would need to make arrangements for her to sit the exam in a nearby venue (which we were to locate and provide an invigilator for)

It must be a rowing thing. I had one of my tutees ask if an exam date could be changed as he was due to compete at Henley. To be fair to him, he wasn't too surprised to be told "Tough". I think he regrets asking now as it has become a source of merriment to his peers.

Exactly. One of the parents will go or a friend of a friend, if it comes down to trip might have to be cancelled. EVERYONE will understand that you've just been notified your uni exam will fall in middle of trip.
Don't bother your lecturer with this, unless they are new and soft, they'll roll their eyes that you think the reserved exam period doesn't apply to you (& likely 4 other will do same in their classes per year!) . Don't be that student!!

The OP is clearly NOT entitled, spoilt or with a poor work ethic as she is VOLUNTEERING her time to work with children. How is that spoilt or lazy?

The won't allow any changes to the exam time. While the exact date and time will only have been released recently, details of the exam weeks/exam period have been available since September. Not acceptable as an excuse. You need to do your exam.

Wow! You have a lot of growing up to do. Why bother the lecturer? You're not a 5 year old.
The exams are fixed, They can't and won't adapt for you.
Lesson learnt to not volunteer for trips in term time.

You're going to have to cancel the trip OP, it's annoying bit I'm sure they'll understand.

Do NOT look into taking retakes, without valid mitigating circumstances these are often capped at 40%

Even if your lecturer wanted to help (they won't), it isn't in their power. They don't set the timetable, run the exam board or approve exceptional circumstances.

As others have said, there isn't anything the university can do. You should've checked the central university calendar, not just your module outline. You are expected to make your degree your priority and all paid employment, volunteering, hobbies etc need to come second. If you don't sit the exam, you'll have zero percent recorded and resit over the summer for 40. (in my institution anyway, but I imagine it's pretty standard.)

Let your organisation know asap that you can't go on the trip. Prioritise you degree - including sufficient time for revision!

extreme I get that you're replying to a PP pages before who was quite indignant. She is also making a point that OP isn't prioritising her exam, she's at uni, the whole deal with uni is you have to work for and pass your exams.

So regardless of good deed she'd planned to do and hadn't really thought through (pretty poor really once you know how exam timetabling works & how frustrating it is that some students listen and others waft through) she is wasting hers & other people's time if she doesn't give her course work/revision and exams the neccessary attention /priority. Hopefully haven't read this thread OP will have had it dawn on her.

OffToBedhampton

Oh, I'm with you on this! Did you watch the video?

Uni comes first. Always.

I think there's a bit of misunderstanding here about the university term- you are still supposed to be using the library, revising, studying in the whole term up to the exam date. You aren't supposed to take it off/go on holiday/do volunteering- the purpose is to study til exams!

As someone else said, don't bother the lecturer with this, they can't change anything. Exam timetables are even worse than lecture timetables to organize as you have to get every single combination of module covered for every individual- and these days, with modular degrees, that's 1000's (or more) of combinations.

YOu gambled, it didn't work out, don't bother the uni, just let your volunteer group know now so they have plenty of time to source a replacement.

OP, I can see that you have panicked here but if at all possible, don't speak to your Lecturer about this!

Speak to the trip organisers and explain what has happened. I can see that you wanted to help them but it was utter madness to allow your name to go forward for anything so close to your exams not to mention in term time at all. It does look like you don't prioritise your Uni work and that's not the impression you want to give (or confirm) with your tutor.

You will have to cancel the trip. Does the youth club not provide any mileage allowance If bringing own car? Even to cover the original journeys. I know mine does.

You simply inform the youth group you have an exam and you are sorry but you cannot make it
They run a youth group they should understand and it will be on them to find someone
Are you always a people pleaser who can’t say no

@extremehydration. 😆😂😂 Lol! I have now.

Sorry, we totally had same point!!

@Ellenborough

I'm not a young adult. My average grade so far is 72. We've been encouraged to do voluntary work by uni. Not only do I have those things, I have a paid job and care for my mum. Still think I'm a lazy cow?

You still shouldn’t be expecting to get your exam date changed, regardless of your age and other commitments.

Your university will encourage volunteering but there will a policy in place that states it must not interfere with academic study.
Unfortunately you don't have a keg to stand on.

Just be incredibly apologetic