Long Day of Exams

Both of my upper division classes had final exams scheduled today. Each exam has two parts: a standardized part put out by our discipline's national organization, and a portion written by me. I allowed students to take them anytime (within reason) this week, and they were allowed to check out one part at a time. Today, I had students spread out all over all day taking various parts of one or both exams.

I walked into one room, where everybody was working hard. I love to see people working hard on physchembio classwithlotsofmath!

"It's a party!" I exclaim.

This comment was not greeted with the same level of enthusiasm with which is was given.

Oh, and did I mention the tests are, um, a little long? We talk briefly. I admit the tests are long. They admit they are not so bad, just long.

"It's just that we feel like we are never getting out of here," they say.

"Like Hotel California?" I say. Then, "No really! Hotel California is the perfect metaphor: You can check out any time you'd like but you can never leave."

[The room erupts in a burst of much needed laughter]