worried about exams and the weather!

muffy

Anyone else worried about exams? I haven't been able to get to the lib and I am worried I won't be able to get there tomorrow or Friday either! What do reckon chances are of exam dates being changed?

projectmayhem

muffy wrote: »

Anyone else worried about exams? I haven't been able to get to the lib and I am worried I won't be able to get there tomorrow or Friday either! What do reckon chances are of exam dates being changed?

Unless Dublin is a complete disaster, none. People are getting to work, college and school everywhere... DIT have every right to expect students to show up for exams. 4 inches of snow shouldn't hold you back...

muffy

projectmayhem wrote: »

Unless Dublin is a complete disaster, none. People are getting to work, college and school everywhere... DIT have every right to expect students to show up for exams. 4 inches of snow shouldn't hold you back...

HA
I used to err on the side of "its a bit of snow, get over it", until i tried to leave my house today to go to the library, thinking I'd probably get stuck in some bad traffic in my car and found I couldn't. No public transport in my part of the world so I have to drive, (not that a bus would have done me any good today). I am 25km from college, thats a long walk.
The weather is supposed to get bad Sunday and Monday do you really think this won't/shouldn't impact exams?

projectmayhem

muffy wrote: »

HA
I used to err on the side of "its a bit of snow, get over it", until i tried to leave my house today to go to the library, thinking I'd probably get stuck in some bad traffic in my car and found I couldn't. No public transport in my part of the world so I have to drive, (not that a bus would have done me any good today). I am 25km from college, thats a long walk.
The weather is supposed to get bad Sunday and Monday do you really think this won't/shouldn't impact exams?

Don't leave it up to chance and make plans to be in the city for Monday so!

The Volt

Dublin Bus was suspended today in certain areas. I eventually got a lift home. 4 hours from DIT to Blessington. Disaster slightly?

As class rep I have received worrying signs from classmates, some are isolated down the country, without a way to the city and without internet access. If things are like this for the rest of the week it'd be inhumane for DIT not to make some sort of concession.

muffy

projectmayhem wrote: »

Don't leave it up to chance and make plans to be in the city for Monday so!

I am near the city, I'm outside Swords, rural though hence no bus services. I am planning to stay with people nearer town, however IF conditions are like today and Dublin Bus won't run, what are people expected to do? I will walk if I have to. But others will be caught out. And you cannot blame them in fairness. My reason for posting this thread was so to anticipate any possible problems with getting to college for exams!

joeybloggs

Will the Libraries even be open tomorrow? If so, for how long will they be open for? Won't find out till tomorrow I guess....

All I say is, get down to dublin as soon as you can and stay as close to DIT as you can. Don't take the weather for granted.

I would take schlippin and schliddin over DIT in August anyday.

I guess, this wouldn't be a problem if we had an earlier start to the college year and exams before christmas.

I'm just going to hammer home my 'Change the Semester' any chance I get from now on....:rolleyes:

The Volt

joeybloggs wrote: »

Will the Libraries even be open tomorrow? If so, for how long will they be open for? Won't find out till tomorrow I guess....

All I say is, get down to dublin as soon as you can and stay as close to DIT as you can. Don't take the weather for granted.

I would take schlippin and schliddin over DIT in August anyday.

I guess, this wouldn't be a problem if we had an earlier start to the college year and exams before christmas.

I'm just going to hammer home my 'Change the Semester' any chance I get from now on....:rolleyes:

Good post m'boy Write that for DIT News

Naikon

I have no intention of going anywhere near DIT until the
exams roll around. I have access to the student distrib and
my udrive through netsoc, along with *shudder* webcourses.

Not to sound like a prick, but is it really required of people
to go near the college during this snowstorm? If you don't
have stuff to submit physically, whats the point?

I will spend a total of 4 hours in DIT this month.
Roll on Feb:pac: Netsoc accounts are only 2 euro.
Best investment I have made in DIT yet.

The Volt

Naikon wrote: »

I have no intention of going anywhere near DIT until the
exams roll around. I have access to the student distrib and
my udrive through netsoc, along with *shudder* webcourses.

Not to sound like a prick, but is it really required of people
to go near the college during this snowstorm? If you don't
have stuff to submit physically, whats the point?

I will spend a total of 4 hours in DIT this month.
Roll on Feb:pac: Netsoc accounts are only 2 euro.
Best investment I have made in DIT yet.

Tell that to the people in ballygobackwards with no internet access!

Naikon

Voltwad wrote: »

Tell that to the people in ballygobackwards with no internet access!

True, I live in the sticks and am VERY lucky to have
internet access. It's not very practical coming from
the middle of nowhere to DIT everyday.

It takes me a good 2 hours to get to DIT, so any longer
than that is just asking for trouble. God help the poor
people coming from Longford/cork to town everyday.

People should consider moving closer if they can, but
I know money isn't exactly flowing lately. ****ty times.

The Volt

Naikon wrote: »

True, I live in the sticks and am VERY lucky to have
internet access. It's not very practical coming from
the middle of nowhere to DIT everyday.

It takes me a good 2 hours to get to DIT, so any longer
than that is just asking for trouble. God help the poor
people coming from Longford/cork to town everyday.

People should consider moving closer if they can, but
I know money isn't exactly flowing lately. ****ty times.

I see there's a petition going around facebook now to have them cancelled :pac:

I would advise everyone to email their lecturers and plead their sad story, looking for an extension to assignments IF needed. As for the exam board, well I'm just lost there.

muffy

People should just be aware that things are also crap in Dublin, if you are not in walking distance of college then be prepared if you have exams Mon or Tues as the weather is forecasted for heavy snow, and who knows if Dublin Bus will pull this again.

As for going near college, I would like to use the Library and its paltry selection of books to study!

68 lost souls

I reckon the exams will go ahead but those who cannot make it may be able to get some sor tof proof (I dont know how) that they physically could not get in and they could then sit the repeats as a first sitting.

It happens all the time that people miss the exam first time round for various reasons and sit in the repeats as a first sitting. Bit of a pain in the arse really but it can happen. Only other thing I can think of is postponing the exams a week or two but god knows if the weather will be better by then. Would actually kind of suit me if they were put back so I had more time to study but we have to take what we are given.

Also in reference to changing the semester it normally works out a million times better having the exam in january as it means you are not going straight from class to exams and gives you a longer time to study. I would hate to only have a week between class finishing and exams starting. Would make the pressure build up like a night mare, with all the rojects due up in the last week there would be no time to study till the week before exams and then you would hear a lot more people complaining.

joeybloggs

Too true people. It's very treacherous out there. I wouldn't suggest making any unnecessary journeys to DIT.
But I would reiterate, that if you’re travelling up to Dublin for exams, do so as soon as you can just in case it gets even worse.

As for cancelling exams, forget the notion. It's counter-productive. If it happens it happens. So get back to studying for your exams, as far as you know there on Monday.

68 lost souls wrote: »

Also in reference to changing the semester it normally works out a million times better having the exam in january as it means you are not going straight from class to exams and gives you a longer time to study. I would hate to only have a week between class finishing and exams starting. Would make the pressure build up like a night mare, with all the rojects due up in the last week there would be no time to study till the week before exams and then you would hear a lot more people complaining.

I think we would agree that even before Christmas it is always extremely stressful with reports, Presentations .etc

But if think about it, changing the semester would factor all that in (albeit eventually) i.e. the whole timetable would change around it. Sure, I wouldn't like to be the first year that the system would change for (teething-problems), but I do believe once it was changed, it would give us a less traumatic more enjoyable DIT overall.

Take Trinity and forgive me for mentioning them, UCD. They've made it work for them; it could work for us too...

Unless we start believing our own hype and that the Courses were doing here are much more difficult and have more study hours than the name-sake courses in the holes institutions named above.

I think I need to finish this with a pro DIT comment; I'm far too negative sometimes. DIT News can quote me on this one.:D


'Dublin Institute of Technology is Nirvana and John of the snackery is god.'

68 lost souls

I would honestly agree with the hype that we do have more work. I have heard people from other college moan about 12 and 20 hour hours weeks when we do 36 hour weeks most of the time. To quote one of our lecturers, "in 17 years in the education system this course is the most labour intensive and time consuming courses I have come across, in reality you guys should be getting a masters not just an honours degree."

Naikon

68 lost souls wrote: »

I would honestly agree with the hype that we do have more work. I have heard people from other college moan about 12 and 20 hour hours weeks when we do 36 hour weeks most of the time. To quote one of our lecturers, "in 17 years in the education system this course is the most labour intensive and time consuming courses I have come across, in reality you guys should be getting a masters not just an honours degree."

Plus the studying and exams...
Jesus man, good on ya getting through that degree.

Mine is more along the 20 hour mark, and I still don't even make it to all the lectures. I hate the fact most
courses are not standardised. Some courses are ultra tough while others are a walk in the park, even in the
same cognate area. I know people who have witnessed this in multiple colleges. Joke imo.

I know a guy who done arts....7 hour weeks near final year
He did have to do a lot of background reading though.

Ciaran500

First reports for Sunday/Monday are very bad: http://www.met.ie/forecasts/

Can easily see the buses being cancelled and traffic mayhem again next week, not looking forward to how this will turn out.

candy19

I just travelled up from Donegal on sunday afternoon with the intention of only staying in Dublin until Tuesday afternoon. So I could get a few books from the library and get my assignments completed!

All buses serving my route were cancelled and I have had to remain down here in a freezing cold apartment! If I didn't stay done here I probably wouldn't make it down on Sunday for my exams next week...

I do feel that concessions should be made for those people who cannot travel down to college, they should not have to come back in August to sit exams!

Also, so far the word from DIT is that all exams will be going ahead as scheduled!

projectmayhem

Ciaran500 wrote: »

First reports for Sunday/Monday are very bad: http://www.met.ie/forecasts/

Can easily see the buses being cancelled and traffic mayhem again next week, not looking forward to how this will turn out.

With a bit of luck the miserably **** in Dublin City Council will have bought grit and prepared a plan. Of course, they might just reroute that money and organise a knees-up tea party on O'Connell street on Bloomsday with Norris. Argh!

The Volt

projectmayhem wrote: »

With a bit of luck the miserably **** in Dublin City Council will have bought grit and prepared a plan. Of course, they might just reroute that money and organise a knees-up tea party on O'Connell street on Bloomsday with Norris. Argh!

It's not just DCC, it's nationwide. There's been a major lack of government during this whole saga. One of the reasons it took me nearly 5 hours to get home from town yesterday is because there was no Traffic Gardai to stop people blocking yellow boxes etc, it's pandemonium out there.

tasha1

Is Aungier Street library closing early today?

projectmayhem

Voltwad wrote: »

It's not just DCC, it's nationwide. There's been a major lack of government during this whole saga. One of the reasons it took me nearly 5 hours to get home from town yesterday is because there was no Traffic Gardai to stop people blocking yellow boxes etc, it's pandemonium out there.

DCC are in charge of Dublin roads and control the power to grit them etc. They have a budget and it's up to them to spend it. As much as the government stinks, DCC are the ones to blame for this one...

drogbaa

tasha1 wrote: »

Is Aungier Street library closing early today?

I don't know about Aungier St, but I'm in the Bolton St library and they've just announced they're closing at 5 due to the road conditions.
I don't think it's as bad as yesterday - took me 4 hours to travel 8 miles yesterday, but it's still slippy out there.

On the exams, RTE are reporting that NUI Maynooth exams are starting as planned tomorrow - and the conditions out that direction are worse than Dublin. If your exam is on Monday, I'd get myself up to Dublin on Sunday!

drogbaa

Just saw this on the home page:

http://www.dit.ie/news/archive2010/openinghours/

projectmayhem

Got this email:

Information update: Thursday 07 January,14.00 hrs





Dublin Institute of Technology campus buildings are open as usual today, Thursday 7th January. We regret that due to essential maintenance, the heating system in Mountjoy Square is off today but we hope that will be resolved tomorrow.


The Libraries in all buildings will close at 5pm today to enable students and staff to travel home in safety.



All buildings will close at 5.30 pm this evening, and will re-open at the usual time tomorrow, Friday 8th January.



This information will be updated regularly on www.dit.ie and on the student and staff portal, www.mydit.ie so please check if there is any deterioration in weather conditions or availability of public transport.



Updates on public transport in Dublin are available on all service providers' websites. The following links may be useful in checking your route:



Dublin Bus information : www.dublinbus.ie
Luas information: http://www.luas.ie/travel-updates.php
Irish Rail information: http://www.irishrail.ie/home/
Bus Eireann information: http://www.buseireann.ie/
AA Roadwatch: http://www.aaroadwatch.ie/


Further emails will be sent over the coming days to update this information. Please also check with the Porters' desk in your campus building.



Regards,

Melda Slattery

Public Affairs office

Ciaran500

projectmayhem wrote: »

With a bit of luck the miserably **** in Dublin City Council will have bought grit and prepared a plan. Of course, they might just reroute that money and organise a knees-up tea party on O'Connell street on Bloomsday with Norris. Argh!

HA!

"Dublin City Council has said salt stocks are running critically low and that secondary routes and footpaths in the capital would not be gritted." - www.rte.ie

The Volt

projectmayhem wrote: »

DCC are in charge of Dublin roads and control the power to grit them etc. They have a budget and it's up to them to spend it. As much as the government stinks, DCC are the ones to blame for this one...

They can only work within their resources. The fact of the matter is the powers that be, all over the country were not ready to handle this.

projectmayhem

Second email of the day.

Dear student,

Examinations in DIT, scheduled to commence on Monday 11th January, will proceed as planned throughout the coming week. Students are advised to give themselves plenty of time to reach their exam hall in good time.

In the event of any unanticipated or unavoidable change to timetables, updates will be emailed to all students.

Public Affairs

experiMental

68 lost souls wrote: »

I reckon the exams will go ahead but those who cannot make it may be able to get some sor tof proof (I dont know how) that they physically could not get in and they could then sit the repeats as a first sitting.

Proof? Get a solicitor. Or a consultant of some sort. In a democracy, everyone is equal, even the authority. So the DIT examinations office can get the same amount of kicking as the students, in the eyes of the law.

Voltwad wrote:

It's not just DCC, it's nationwide. There's been a major lack of government during this whole saga. One of the reasons it took me nearly 5 hours to get home from town yesterday is because there was no Traffic Gardai to stop people blocking yellow boxes etc, it's pandemonium out there.

It took me 3 hours to get home on a bus, and 1.5 hours by train. I was standing for half of the journey, though. The train was completely packed. I didn't have enough space to move my arm at some stage. It's that bad.

Speaking of yellow boxes, this is absolutely ridiculous. The rules of the road state in bold letters, that one should not block the yellow boxes, unless one can clear it in a good time. 1 hour is not a good time.

As far as gritting goes, it's a mixed bag across the country. In Louth, roads were gritted, even on the edge of Dundalk, which is an absolute hole. If Louth can do it, Dublin certainly can. Wrong. In Dundalk and Drogheda, even pavements were gritted and salted. In Dublin on Wednesday, all of the North Circular road was frozen over, like an ice rink.

Next Monday, I will take my skates to the town and skate to Bolton Street. :P

Ciaran500

Sunday will be cold and mostly cloudy with occasional sleet and snow showers in the south and east, giving accumulations in places. Monday will be very cold again. It'll be a mostly cloudy day with frequent showers of sleet and snow in a strong easterly wind. Significant accumulations will occur and drifting is possible due to strong easterly winds.

Two days of snow and they expect everyone to be able to get in?

GrumPy

Took me just over 4 hours (just under 10miles) to travel from cork street in the city centre to Baldoyle on Wednesday, left at 14:00. (I don't even live there! just took refuge for awhile before driving the other 40k + home) Luckily, I don't have my first exam till the 13th.
Going to drive back up on Sunday evening so I can be sure I will be up for Wednesday :eek:

ditmature

Exams for Monday postponed guys - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055792083

68 lost souls

Unfortuniatly my exam is on Tuesday but

"Important update on DIT examinations for Monday 11 January:

Given the uncertainty of weather conditions and the availability of transport options for Monday 11 January, examinations scheduled to take place in DIT on that day have been postponed and a new date will be arranged as soon as possible.

NB - Examinations for the rest of next week will proceed as scheduled. "

groovy 09

Tallaght IT exams are the same. Exams postponed on Monday then check for updates ! Postponed exams will run week of 18th Jan. No resits, have to wait until August. So for me, I can't get my car out of the estate and there is no public transport to the college other than the DART and Luas which would take me 3 hours plus waiting time each way. As a part time student I have taken time off work so it has really messed me about.

Exams are stressful enough without this additional pressure.

68 lost souls

I have a holiday booked and paid for leaving on the 22nd of January so Im hoping that if Tuesdays are postponed they will be on before then otherwise I will be raging, I also know the Ski trip is heading away thne and that could affect about 120 students many of whome are final year. Could turn into a nightmare.

Naikon

DIT really don't give a fiddlers about the students though. Can't speak for staff, but I imagine
there are problems on the lecturing side aswell. DIT is bordering on substandard at the best
of times to be quite honest. The library in kevin street is an absolute joke for a college.

They are more concerned with becoming a University despite the current state of the institution.
Kevin street in particular is falling apart, and the facilities such as the pool were closed recently.
For DIT to become a real University, they need to cop the fcuk on and start acting like one.

joeybloggs

68 lost souls wrote: »

I have a holiday booked and paid for leaving on the 22nd of January so Im hoping that if Tuesdays are postponed they will be on before then otherwise I will be raging, I also know the Ski trip is heading away thne and that could affect about 120 students many of whome are final year. Could turn into a nightmare.

My Course Coordinator said he assumes that my Postponed Monday exam will be moved to the Monday 25th. If thats the case and then the Tuesday is postponed, one would assume it would be put on the 26th...

rovert

Looking at the long term forecast for Thursday is pretty grim

The Volt

Anyone with any inside info re- Tuesday?

madrab

id say tuesday will go ahead, weather is getting better

shoutman

Check your dit email, already one sent out saying Tuesdays are going ahead, Monday exams still haven't been rescheduled yet.

The Volt

Grand job, I didnt bank on the weather and I'm actually fairly confident

Jordan.09.10

Hey everyone,

Just to let you all know that to find out when Monday (11th Jan) exams are moved to contact your local exams office. This will not be a central decision, it will be made on a site by site basis. Keep an eye on the dit homepage and your student email for any changes/updates. If you need me just email on vpacademic@ditsu.ie or call on 0866031075.

Jen Jordan
Vice President
DIT Students' Union