Another school exam at home today. More walking about. More music. Not much sitting around. The exam room was basically the house and at one stage, extended to the garden. It works for Hawklad. He gets more information onto the papers this way.
So I spoke to school. What are the alternatives to exams. The initial response of a separate room, under exam conditions, just doesn’t go far enough.
I watched Hawklad do his work while in perpetual motion, my mind wandered back to university. My last exam there. I wonder what Hawklad would have made of that.
Everyone in fancy dress. I went as a Roman Centurion including fake plastic sword. I was not allowed to take the sword into the exam room, it was deemed a banned item. I’m not sure how a cheap plastic sword would aid with any Degree Paper. During the exam, the overall experience was bizarre verging on transcendental. I can remember many of my fellow exam candidates. All living the last few hours of a 4 year course. A chap in traditional Moroccan dress, although everyone thought it was actually more like Obi-WAN’s Jedi costume. A girl dressed as a mermaid. Another as a air hostess. Barbarella made an appearance. The Blues Brothers, Thelma and Louise, The Village People and Elvis all turned up. A guy dressed as one of the Charlie’s Angels. That guy was clearly in much discomfort during the 3 hour exam. He couldn’t sit still. Apparently his figure hugging garment was applying too much pressure to his nether regions. I had the other experience. My centurion tunic was a little on the short side and it kept riding up. Not only was my modesty under threat (I was conscious of the poor female friends in viewing distance) but it was also far too draughty for my liking. Those Centurions were seriously tough, wearing so little while stood on the exposed Northumberland Hadrian’s Wall during winter.
The crazy thing is that it all that mayhem and madness worked. We all passed that exam. Most with higher marks than expected.
I wonder if school would consider that particular exam adjustment. I wonder if Hawklad would. One thing is for sure, I’m not fitting into my Roman attire these days. I suspect that even a 10 man Roman Tent would be tight around my thighs now.
A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. 
Is this a tradition to dress in costumes for final exams? Very unusual…
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No just us being very silly
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Good for you. Your professors didn’t mind?
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Something tells me this could only happen in the UK its the eccentricity and zaniness I miss so much from over there.. I would have loved to have seen that, isn’t it a precious memory?
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Problem is most of the time we are far too stuffy and reserved.
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🤗🙂
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Well, that never happened in my exam. 🙂
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Mind you, re-reading your post, I see you say university exam. I am still surprised though.
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I don’t think it’s a common thing to happen
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Wonderful frosty photograph. Those Romans were tough! Interesting idea, going in dress-up to an exam. I hope something can be worked out for Hawklad.
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A lot tougher than me
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I had a calculus professor dress as a haram girl on Halloween once, and he had a huge beard sticking out from under his vail.
But no such fun and games during exams.
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I found this about missing out on, when homeschooled:
1. The morning alarm clock – Homeschoolers can design their schedule to honor their body’s natural rhythms. Many wake each day only when their body is refreshed and ready.
2. Homework – When homeschool work is done, it’s done! There’s no additional pile of work to add on at the end of a long day.
3. School lunches – Whether you pack them or buy them in the cafeteria, school lunch options are limited, and health is all too often sacrificed for convenience. Homeschoolers can enjoy all of the natural, healthy options their parents make available in the fridge or pantry.
4. Permission slips – All of those endless slips of paper to sign and return magically disappear when you bring learning home instead!
5. Detention – Homeschool discipline is simply an extension of regular parenting. There’s no need to compel a student to “stay after school” to make a point.
6. Report cards – Homeschoolers don’t need report cards because their parents keep ongoing tabs on how their learning is going. Some homeschoolers even consider grades optional.
7. Parent-teacher conferences – There’s no need for a meeting because the home teacher is also the parent. As one bit of homeschool humor asserts, “I’m not talking to myself; I’m having a parent-teacher conference!”
8. Shortened recess – Recess can happen anytime and as often as it is needed!
9. The bell – The bell to signal the end of the class period or school day never interrupts your work or that wonderful book you’ve just delved into. And you never spend any time watching the seconds hand go round and round as it counts down the boring minutes to the end of class. You might wish there were more minutes in your day, though!
10. The end of summer vacation – When school vacation ends and school kids head back inside school to their lockers, desks, and workbooks, yours can keep playing outside as much as they want.
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