snow - ALL EXAMS RESUMING AS SCHEDULED AS OF 12TH JANUARY

wiki

hows the snow up in maynooth, im travelling frm laois for the exams

kaiser soza

Must be bad enough,I have just got an email to say the Library is to close at 5pm today.

Rozabeez

Christ, this isn't funny anymore

wiki

lets all just hope the exams get postponed, i need another week damn procrastination!

rp

wiki wrote: »

hows the snow up in maynooth

Snow's fine: deep, crisp, even, although the sky has cleared and looks set for a big freeze tonight. Traffic looks a bit mad, on the road from the m'way, at least

token56

Snowed a nice bit today. Just be careful on the motorway, especially after the kildare exit. Although I dont think any of it will be great. Roads from the motorway to maynooth are not that bad I think. Well they were gritted when I drove up.

Ian Beale

wiki wrote: »

hows the snow up in maynooth, im travelling frm laois for the exams

Very bad but passable if you drive slow, seen some eejits trying to make their wheels spin in the snow and they got stuck and had to push their cars out :pac:

ScissorPaperRock

Could the weather delay the exams? Has anyone heard anything about the possibility of this?

leopoldbloom

I have an unbelievable urge to toboggan down the footbridge.

I imagine if the weather holds up like this the earliest exams might be put back, but I'd be surprised.

jrd_old

I was wondering about this myself.. i reckon if they are going to postpone the early ones they should email everyone by tomorrow

nothing

I reckon once the invigilators can make it in, then the exams won't be postponed.

KGA333

Dublin Bus has been grounded. There are serious delays to trains. I know there are a lot of students that are already up but surely they cant expect people to travel in this?

Rozabeez

Do the exams start on Saturday? My first one isn't til the 14th so I'm not sure!

LeixlipRed

KGA333 wrote: »

Dublin Bus has been grounded. There are serious delays to trains. I know there are a lot of students that are already up but surely they cant expect people to travel in this?

It's not the apocalypse, it's a bit of snow

alexi_mcg

My first exam is friday, think that's the first day.

I rang the examinations office earlier and they said they've no intention of postponing exams - I was basically told if you can't make it you've to repeat in Aug...end of. The woman I was talking to said a lot of the staff have been able to get in and there's a lot of students on campus (maybe because they live there?!) so she said there was no reason for the exams not to go ahead. I think it's asking for trouble having thousands of students, many of whom are inexperienced drivers, travelling in this kind of weather when there is the option of exams being postponed. Not to mention the fact that a lot of bus services are not operating and not all trains lead to maynooth!

kaiser soza

Exams start on Friday, It is not the snow I am worried about,it is the Ice on the foot paths and the roads,the paths where I live have already frozen over as have the roads.Taxi fares are normally €40-€50,if the cars have to drive half as slow this will be one expensive week ahead.

cian1500ww

I have to drive up from Leitrim on Sunday, would we be told before that if they moved exams, I don't want a wasted trip in this weather.

LeixlipRed

LeixlipRed wrote: »

It's not the apocalypse, it's a bit of snow

yeah but not everyone lives in Maynooth or on a train line to Maynooth. When the buses dont run its not accessible

It is only a bit of snow and other countries can manage just fine, not here it seems but thats not my fault. I see over on the weather forum that more snow showers are due the nights before two of my exams...could be repeating in Aug

check out this:
http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=63831735&postcount=92

My bus was sliding all over the shop at 2pm today, If I crash and people are killed Im the one that gets locked up. I wont be driving in it tomorrow.

leopoldbloom

Someone should email Brian Murphy or Liz, see what they're doing about it.

I've always said it, people forget about the SU too easily.

leopoldbloom

leopoldbloom wrote: »

Someone should email Brian Murphy or Liz, see what they're doing about it.

I've always said it, people forget about the SU too easily.

already done dude, if more do then it might be worth something

LeixlipRed

Sorry, but I don't think anyone realises how big an operation these exams are. Even the slightest hiccup fecks things up royally. Move the exams back a few days and it's a logistical nightmare. This weather has been around for weeks. Anyone leaving it to the last minute to come up for exams is asking for trouble.

KGA333

Its not the apocylypse but the problem is a bit of snow causes big problems in this country. I cant go outside my front gate for a walk let alone drive. Its too icy and not gritted. no buses operating or trains leaving from my area and I definitely wouldn't drive in this so in this case the bit of snow is really causing probs with my efforts of getting to Maynooth:mad:

KGA333

logistical nightmare versus serious risk to people travelling?? As for leaving it too late, it wasn't anywhere near this bad until yeaterday. There was no advance forecast saying it would get this bad.

LeixlipRed

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Anyone leaving it to the last minute to come up for exams is asking for trouble.

What do you mean, not everyone lives in Maynooth

LeixlipRed

Obviously not but you hardly have a 7 hour commute or something? Sure, local roads are bad but Maynooth is served by a motorway and what not. I have sympathy for people obviously but the exams won't be postponed and it's best to start thinking about how you'll get up rather than moaning about it on the net!

ha-ya-said-what

It snowed here new years day, same snow is on the ground since, got a light dusting of snow the other night then more snow today.... that didn't amount to much to. Kilcock Road is ok & so is the Moyglare road up to Moyglare hall when driven on with extreeemmmme patience, cos they ent the easiest roads to gauge if any of ye are heading back for college on them roads to accomodation.

Roads around are all driveable so can't see them postponded exams.

ha-ya-said-what

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Obviously not but you hardly have a 7 hour commute or something? Sure, local roads are bad but Maynooth is served by a motorway and what not. I have sympathy for people obviously but the exams won't be postponed and it's best to start thinking about how you'll get up rather than moaning about it on the net!

Exactly

KGA333

I'm 2 hours away from Maynooth on a good day. Aside from what the roads are like toward Maynooth, around here a lot of the routes have been closed, secondary roads are impassable, and theres a long drive ahead of me before I ever get near the Motorway. Its genuinely very very difficult to get around here to get out on a main road so its very unfair that students should be expected to try make it up for exams on fri. The NS are all closed, buses aren't operating, trains, flights are delayed. Very little we can do.

ha-ya-said-what

Can I just say that exam time tables were handed out before Christmas. We knew Christmas week there was going to be snow every where, we knew last week the roads were going to get worse, we knew this weekend there was going to be no change to the weather and that any parts not affected with snow were due to get snow this week. It's on students on backs to plan ahead to insure they are available to sit the exams.

Many students have been flooding back since Saturday here to Maynooth as they had been paying attention to weather conditions and had a fear of train and bus disruptions. In the eyes of the college they will see it the same, there was plenty of warning out there to access means of transport to insure you got to Maynooth in good time to avoid weather delays.

And those worried about the paths here, yes they are icey but you can walk them no problems with decent footwear. Only down side is the kids are lurking everywhere with snowballs and tend to aim for the ears!! Ohhh and any of ye smoking in the car, have the window down as little as possiable, cos they have also mastered the art of firing snowballs into driver's faces if the window is any more than half way down!!

LeixlipRed

KGA333 wrote: »

I'm 2 hours away from Maynooth on a good day. Aside from what the roads are like toward Maynooth, around here a lot of the routes have been closed, secondary roads are impassable, and theres a long drive ahead of me before I ever get near the Motorway. Its genuinely very very difficult to get around here to get out on a main road so its very unfair that students should be expected to try make it up for exams on fri. The NS are all closed, buses aren't operating, trains, flights are delayed. Very little we can do.

Come up tomorrow so, stay in a mates house. Drive up during the day or something. The exams won't be postponed however unfair you think it is! Sounds harsh I know but it's the reality of the situation. Don't think that if you don't turn up on Friday that Peter Carr or someone will have you not repeating in August cause that won't happen!! You will have to repeat no matter what!!

KGA333

Going tomorrow during the day, is no better an option. I'm not sure that people living close to Maynooth and around the Dublin region where gritting is widespread are fully aware of how bad the situation is down the country. Our roads aren't gritted like the motorways and national routes closer to cities and big towns. The resources simply aren't there to supply a sufficent service to those in the Country.

~me~

ha-ya-said-what wrote: »

Can I just say that exam time tables were handed out before Christmas. We knew Christmas week there was going to be snow every where, we knew last week the roads were going to get worse, we knew this weekend there was going to be no change to the weather and that any parts not affected with snow were due to get snow this week. It's on students on backs to plan ahead to insure they are available to sit the exams.

Many students have been flooding back since Saturday here to Maynooth as they had been paying attention to weather conditions and had a fear of train and bus disruptions. In the eyes of the college they will see it the same, there was plenty of warning out there to access means of transport to insure you got to Maynooth in good time to avoid weather delays.

And those worried about the paths here, yes they are icey but you can walk them no problems with decent footwear. Only down side is the kids are lurking everywhere with snowballs and tend to aim for the ears!!

so what do you think people should've done? travelled up when they've nowhere to stay? people can hardly hang around in the snow til their exams start. plenty of people commute every day but not everyone has friends who live in maynooth that they can stay with if they need to commute early. its not a case of people not bothering, they actually couldn't travel up before the exams.

KGA333

Absolutely. Isn't as clearcut as kepping an eye on the weather or staying at a mates.

LeixlipRed

Sorry guys, but Ireland isn't Siberia! You're not 200 miles from the nearest town. There are ways and means in this tiny country of ours. Again, we all have sympathy but if you're planning on staying home Friday no crying to the exams office is gonna make you not have to repeat.

kaiser soza

KGA333 wrote: »

Going tomorrow during the day, is no better an option. I'm not sure that people living close to Maynooth and around the Dublin region where gritting is widespread are fully aware of how bad the situation is down the country. Our roads aren't gritted like the motorways and national routes closer to cities and big towns. The resources simply aren't there to supply a sufficent service to those in the Country.

Most suburbs in Dublin are the same,the area I live in has been iced over for the last 8 days,the main roads and Dublin city centre were gritted,just make sure you plan ahead,we still have 38 hours before it all starts.

KGA333

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Sorry guys, but Ireland isn't Siberia! You're not 200 miles from the nearest town. There are ways and means in this tiny country of ours. Again, we all have sympathy but if you're planning on staying home Friday no crying to the exams office is gonna make you not have to repeat.

The situation isn't about repeating. If the exams go ahead and certain people don't make it then obviously they'll have to repeat. We're not looking for some get out clause on how to avoid sitting the exams. I'm in my final year, sitting them is quite important to me. Whats presenting the problem is travelling up to them and the conditions on the road. Should I not make it up Fri I am marked absent and the repeats are counted as my 2nd sitting. This is the issue

~me~

KGA333 wrote: »

The situation isn't about repeating. If the exams go ahead and certain people don't make it then obviously they'll have to repeat. We're not looking for some get out clause on how to avoid sitting the exams. I'm in my final year, sitting them is quite important to me. Whats presenting the problem is travelling up to them and the conditions on the road. Should I not make it up Fri I am marked absent and the repeats are counted as my 2nd sitting. This is the issue

exactly.
and there aren't always "ways and means".
I havent "cried to the exams office" nor do i plan to commute on the day of my exam, I've made other plans for that day, however I think the whole "its upon your back to get in on time" attitude is a bit naive to say the least. and many people dont have the luxury of staying in maynooth. people are understandably worried about something that is genuinely beyond their control and they dont need to be told to find another way because im sure they've already tried.
Im also worried about the fact that if you do need to miss it and then repeat then thats your only chance.

LeixlipRed

KGA333 wrote: »

Should I not make it up Fri I am marked absent and the repeats are counted as my 2nd sitting. This is the issue

It's not counted as your second sitting. They don't write it on your degree. You can repeat 15 credits in your final year with no punishment. And with the excuse of bad weather I'm sure that could be extended.

KGA333

~me~ wrote: »

exactly.
and there aren't always "ways and means".
I havent "cried to the exams office" nor do i plan to commute on the day of my exam, I've made other plans for that day, however I think the whole "its upon your back to get in on time" attitude is a bit naive to say the least. and many people dont have the luxury of staying in maynooth. people are understandably worried about something that is genuinely beyond their control and they dont need to be told to find another way because im sure they've already tried.
Im also worried about the fact that if you do need to miss it and then repeat then thats your only chance.

Its absolutely naiive and makes no allowance for the fact that people are genuinely worried. I personally wouldn't drive in these conditions, I have offfers of people telling me they'll try there best bring me up but aside from the fact that really may not be possible, I don't want to bring anyone out in these conditions on my behalf. I'd feel awful. Its simply too dangerous. There are real and genuine concerns about this. People seem to think that those complaining about conditions are just looking for a handy way out or something to moan about. We're not.

LeixlipRed

The issue everyone is missing here is that the exams office simply cannot bend the rules for individual cases. Let me explain. Years ago a mate of mine was assaulted seriously just before the June exams and was in hospital and missed them. He had to repeat. So let's say they let him away with it and let him pass on his CA or something. Someone with a slightly less serious medical condition finds out about this at the next exam sitting and decides to ask for permission to not sit the exams either. Hence opening a huge can of worms! Sure, I believe you guys when you say you can't make it in. But what about the people who use it to their advantage. Who live in Maynooth but pretend they couldn't come up for Friday or some such? Who decides who's genuine and who is not? No one can so no such excuses are excepted because it's the fairest and ONLY way to do it!

~me~

thats the exact reason all exams should be postponed, hence no individual allowances! i know its difficult but id really rather that the uni have some clerical problems than me having to travel on those icy roads at eleven o clock the night before my exams with my two year old daughter in the back of the car because god only knows what could happen; selfish- yes, understable- i think so.

KGA333

LeixlipRed wrote: »

The issue everyone is missing here is that the exams office simply cannot bend the rules for individual cases.

Its not an individual case of someone being sick or ill or assaulted.Or about people hoping just to pass on CA without sitting the exam. I want to sit my exams. Its about the conditions on our roads. Which we can all see to be horrendous. There is no dilemma about genuinity here. Eeveryone can see the conditions as thay are and in the interest of safety to students, and staff alike, they should be postponed to allow conditions to improve.

LeixlipRed

But there is a dilemma!! Say the roads are particularly icy in Village A. You're from there and live there. You can't travel safely to maynooth. I'm also from village A but the college don't know that I live in Maynooth, I'm also lazy and underprepared from the exams so I use the same excuse as you. Not particularly fair is it?

KGA333

Just as someone else has already said, this is the reason all exams should be postponed to eradicate any issues with individual alowances

yousername

Why the hell does the library have the right to close early two days before the exams start when theres people driving from all corners of the island? so we get to do the exams but not use the facilities to study for them!

LeixlipRed

Ok, you postpone exams, what happens then do you think? A part from the logistical nightmare you have students who will say, "Oh I booked a holiday but now I can't go cause you switched my exam". They'd create just as many problems by postponing exams as by leaving them the same. If we were one week away from the exams, yes, possibly you could postpone, but it's too close and I really don't think the weather is bad enough to stop the majority of students attending exams normally. They can only take a decision if the majority of students will be affected. And I don't believe that's the case!

LeixlipRed

yousername wrote: »

Why the hell does the library have the right to close early two days before the exams start when theres people driving from all corners of the island? so we get to do the exams but not use the facilities to study for them!

Yeh, it's a load of rubbish in my opinion. Do they think the Snowpocalypse will come before ten and they'll all end up having to eat books and sleep in the jacks to survive or what?

KGA333

How can u say how do the library have the right to close?? What about the staff needing to get home safely? Safety has to come first, simple as. To say they've no right to based on students travelling from everywhere is completely naiive and selfish.

KGA333

Ultimately its better to be safe than sorry. Do we want to hear of someone being involved in an accident seriously injuring themselves or worse, all in the name of travelling to an exam fri when all that was needed was to postpone exams for the weekend. Awkard perhaps but not as bad as the possible alternative.

Wendero

Sweden today:

-35 degrees. Yes, 35 degrees below zero, celsius!

Imagine that, irishmen;) Now this is cold. 30 inches of snow too.

/John

KGA333

at least Sweden has resources to cope and doesn't grind to a halt.