Exam halls and mobile phones

skinny90

Just wondering what peoples opinion are regarding the rule and mobile phones and exam halls...I fail to see what is wrong with displaying a phone on the ground with anything else on the floor that shouldn't be on you.in essence you are declaring your phone and that you have no intention to use it during the examination. Last week i witnessed people being harassed during their exam because the invigulators spotted a phone in peoples jeans pockets etc
Do you think the new rule is fair?

dropping_bombs

I think it's a bit nuts really. Like you said phone off, upside-down causes nobody any problems. They could take the phone if it rang or something; that'd be understandable. Also with everyone leaving their phones in bags outside of exam halls there is a real risk of getting robbed, seeing as almost all of the venues do not have somewhere to lock your belongings away.

skinny90

dropping_bombs wrote: »

I think it's a bit nuts really. Like you said phone off, upside-down causes nobody any problems. They could take the phone if it rang or something; that'd be understandable. Also with everyone leaving their phones in bags outside of exam halls there is a real risk of getting robbed, seeing as almost all of the venues do not have somewhere to lock your belongings away.

What's nuigs input to all this have they giving a genuine reason why they won't accept a phone on the ground switched off?also is their not implications involved when an invigulator requests someone to empty their pockets if they assume you have a phone

MadYaker

I always leave my stuff in my car before I go in. Id say if it's switched off and in your pocket nobody will know. I definitely wouldn't be leaving mine outside to get robbed anyway.

Eogclouder

I dont mind the rule. What bothers me is their lack of any kind of system to handle the fact that you can't drop it in somwhere.

They should be setting up small deposit stations for 50 cent a pop or something. I've already personally heard several instances of theft. They're created a problem.

WallyGUFC

Eogclouder wrote: »

I dont mind the rule. What bothers me is their lack of any kind of system to handle the fact that you can't drop it in somwhere.

They should be setting up small deposit stations for 50 cent a pop or something. I've already personally heard several instances of theft. They're created a problem.

I wouldn't pay 50 cent just because of this nonsensical rule. If it was free and guaranteed to be safe then maybe... I find putting my phone in my sock works best!

PomBear

For the kingfisher, I just get a locker.

The rule came in basically because people were appealing their exam results on the basis that a person near them phone went off and threw them off, I'm not joking. I wish I was...

skinny90

PomBear wrote: »

For the kingfisher, I just get a locker.

The rule came in basically because people were appealing their exam results on the basis that a person near them phone went off and threw them off, I'm not joking. I wish I was...

Then why penalise those who havnt turned off their phone.think about it, your studying in the library,your exam is in the baily Allen hall,where do you leave your phone?is anyone gonna take responsibility

spurious

Just leave the phone at home. You won't die.

IsThisIt???

spurious wrote: »

Just leave the phone at home. You won't die.

Most people will be spending the entire day in college, studying before and after. You won't die without your mobile but it's not exactly ideal to go 12 hours without it.

ciano1

I turn it off and leave it in my jacket on the back of my chair in the exam. I don't see the big problem!

emt16

why not drop your bag and phone into the cloakroom. It's a FREE service.

Also at the exam venues there are invigilators standing with the bags during the exams making sure that someone doesn't just walk in and steal bags.

extra gravy

When students register do they also agree to any conditions that allows the college to confiscate their property in these situations? Would like to know the legality of an invigilator demanding you empty your pockets and then taking your property off you.

APB18

emt16 wrote: »

why not drop your bag and phone into the cloakroom. It's a FREE service.

Also at the exam venues there are invigilators standing with the bags during the exams making sure that someone doesn't just walk in and steal bags.

Thats what I originally thought, but I know two people who have had theirs stolen from the kingfisher and ive heard of others!

Godot.

On a related topic, during my exam during the week the supervisor pulled me up on a bulge in my pocket. I took it out and it was notes of the subject I was doing, but obviously I couldn't have been using them because they were in my pocket.

I was just looking at my notes outside the door before the exam and unconsciously put them into my pocket. Apparently I will be getting a call from some exam security wotsit in the next week. I was aware they say don't bring in notes, but even if I had remembered that they were in my pocket I probably wouldn't have been arsed to take them out to be honest because I wouldn't have thought you need empty pockets.

Will I get into a lot of trouble?

mitosis

Why not just follow the rules and leave the phone elsewhere? It's only for a short time.

maki

Godot. wrote: »

On a related topic, during my exam during the week the supervisor pulled me up on a bulge in my pocket. I took it out and it was notes of the subject I was doing, but obviously I couldn't have been using them because they were in my pocket.

I was just looking at my notes outside the door before the exam and unconsciously put them into my pocket. Apparently I will be getting a call from some exam security wotsit in the next week. I was aware they say don't bring in notes, but even if I had remembered that they were in my pocket I probably wouldn't have been arsed to take them out to be honest because I wouldn't have thought you need empty pockets.

Will I get into a lot of trouble?

Unfortunately, yes you probably will.
The exam security group will do up a report which goes to the registrar, who will decide what to do.
The penalties range from a warning, to a 0 mark for the exam, to a 2 year ban on doing that exam again.

Godot.

maki wrote: »

Unfortunately, yes you probably will.
The exam security group will do up a report which goes to the registrar, who will decide what to do.
The penalties range from a warning, to a 0 mark for the exam, to a 2 year ban on doing that exam again.

It will be a warning, surely.

maki

Godot. wrote: »

It will be a warning, surely.

Here is the document outlining the process. They say the most common outcome is a deduction of marks, but you might be able to plead your case.

Tsipras

skinny90 wrote: »

Just wondering what peoples opinion are regarding the rule and mobile phones and exam halls...I fail to see what is wrong with displaying a phone on the ground with anything else on the floor that shouldn't be on you.in essence you are declaring your phone and that you have no intention to use it during the examination. Last week i witnessed people being harassed during their exam because the invigulators spotted a phone in peoples jeans pockets etc
Do you think the new rule is fair?

You've too much time on your hands if you're about ****e like this!
leave it outside what f**kin harm

skinny90

Tsipras wrote: »

You've too much time on your hands if you're about ****e like this!
leave it outside what f**kin harm

Too much time on my hands?please do explain?the thread on the new rule has clearly been an issue if you see the above comments regarding nuig not doing anything about ensuring valuables

extra gravy

Tsipras wrote: »

You've too much time on your hands if you're about ****e like this!
leave it outside what f**kin harm

There'll be harm if it's stolen and you have to fork out for a new one. Just because you have a casual attitude towards your property doesn't mean everyone else has.

Tsipras

turn it off and keep it in your pocket if you're worried about losing it?
merry xmas

skinny90

Tsipras wrote: »

turn it off and keep it in your pocket if you're worried about losing it?
merry xmas

Why didn't you just say that rather on your original post....

tbahh

In one of my exams, a phone went off. I lifted up my head to see who it was. To my surprise, it was not a student but an invigilator, and the head one for that matter.

You'd think that with these special requirements on mobile phones this year that they would also take special care themselves.

Nino Brown

It's absolutely fair that phones are banned inside exam halls. Saying it is turned off and upside down on the floor is not enough. Whats to stop people having bluetooth devices and receiving or transmitting with a phone on the floor? I could wear a samsung gear and leave my phone on the floor. And who's to say a phone is off? I can can disconnect the LCD ribbon cable on a phone, the phone would appear to be off, but I could still transmit and receive information. There should never be any way of information leaving or entering an exam center.
Its not ideal to leave your phone at home for a day, but it's hardly a big deal, if you absolutely can't survive a day without your phone then study at home, it's not the exam centers responsibility to cater to your every whim.

Eogclouder

Nino Brown wrote: »

It's absolutely fair that phones are banned inside exam halls. Saying it is turned off and upside down on the floor is not enough. Whats to stop people having bluetooth devices and receiving or transmitting with a phone on the floor? I could wear a samsung gear and leave my phone on the floor. And who's to say a phone is off? I can can disconnect the LCD ribbon cable on a phone, the phone would appear to be off, but I could still transmit and receive information. There should never be any way of information leaving or entering an exam center.
Its not ideal to leave your phone at home for a day, but it's hardly a big deal, if you absolutely can't survive a day without your phone then study at home, it's not the exam centers responsibility to cater to your every whim.

You could do the same thing without having the phone present. There are an infinite amount of ways to cheat. If someone wants to badly enough, having a phone present or not won't stop them.

The problem with the rule is that they've implemented it and basically haven't considered the consequences of that(phones being robbed.). Everyone carries a phone and in general they're valuable. It's common sense to provide advice or safe places to put them, instead all we get is YOU CANT TAKE IT IN BUT WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR IT....a big "we dont care, **** you"

Antifa161

This must be a new rule because for 4 years of exams I always put my phone face down on the floor and it was never an issue.

I avoided having to leave a bag with any valuables outside too. Yes there are staff around but there's nothing stopping somebody who leaves the exam early from just picking up a bag and pretending it's theirs. There's a good chance most bags have laptops in them at that time of year too.

People whose phones actually do go off are absolute goons though. How do you even forget to turn it off? It's not as if exams are some casual event that don't require any thought.

Nino Brown

Eogclouder wrote: »

The problem with the rule is that they've implemented it and basically haven't considered the consequences of that(phones being robbed.). Everyone carries a phone and in general they're valuable.

A safe place to put it is at home. Everybody knows the rules months in advance, if you still bring a phone then surely it's your problem not the exam centers. You don't have to bring a phone, it's a personal choice.
I'd like to bring my dog with me for good luck, dogs aren't allowed in the exam center, so they should provide kennels right?

poundapunnet

extra gravy wrote: »

When students register do they also agree to any conditions that allows the college to confiscate their property in these situations? Would like to know the legality of an invigilator demanding you empty your pockets and then taking your property off you.

Please don't be that guy who sues for violation of his human rights or something because he had to hand over his phone before taking an exam. Don't be that guy.

I can see how this it's annoying that the university don't appear to have thought it through but that tends to happen the first time any new big rule is brought in, hopefully they'll have it sorted for summer.

And anyways it's really not a big deal. Even if your expensive phone does get robbed when you're sitting an exam for your college degree, compared to most people you've got really brilliant problems. Leave it at home or put it in your jacket pocket, you'll be grand. we'll all be grand.

Antifa161

poundapunnet wrote: »

And anyways it's really not a big deal. Even if your expensive phone does get robbed when you're sitting an exam for your college degree, compared to most people you've got really brilliant problems. Leave it at home or put it in your jacket pocket, you'll be grand. we'll all be grand.

Haha are you saying students who have their belonging stolen should just be grateful they're in college? Settle down there Robin Hood.

poundapunnet

Antifa161 wrote: »

Haha are you saying students who have their belonging stolen should just be grateful they're in college? Settle down there Robin Hood.

No I'm saying what you quoted in your post, leave the phone at home or in a jacket pocket. I don't think I've ever been called Robin Hood before though, it's kind of cool

Cathalog

tbahh wrote: »

In one of my exams, a phone went off. I lifted up my head to see who it was. To my surprise, it was not a student but an invigilator, and the head one for that matter.

You'd think that with these special requirements on mobile phones this year that they would also take special care themselves.

The very same thing happened to me, in one of my exams. It really did píss me off - one rule for us, another rule for them? Where's his €20 fine?

Nino Brown wrote: »

It's absolutely fair that phones are banned inside exam halls. Saying it is turned off and upside down on the floor is not enough. Whats to stop people having bluetooth devices and receiving or transmitting with a phone on the floor? I could wear a samsung gear and leave my phone on the floor. And who's to say a phone is off? I can can disconnect the LCD ribbon cable on a phone, the phone would appear to be off, but I could still transmit and receive information. There should never be any way of information leaving or entering an exam center.
Its not ideal to leave your phone at home for a day, but it's hardly a big deal, if you absolutely can't survive a day without your phone then study at home, it's not the exam centers responsibility to cater to your every whim.

With regards to Bluetooth, that's technology that could transmit/receive data through the wall to a device outside the exam hall with relative ease. Failing that, WiFi has a massive range, so I fail to see your argument here. My point is, as another poster already said, if someone is determined to cheat in an exam, they will find a way to do it. No matter how many restrictions are put in place, there's always a way.
As a matter of interest, how do you think you could transmit data from an exam hall? A hidden keypad in your watch or something?

Nino Brown wrote: »

A safe place to put it is at home. Everybody knows the rules months in advance, if you still bring a phone then surely it's your problem not the exam centers. You don't have to bring a phone, it's a personal choice.
I'd like to bring my dog with me for good luck, dogs aren't allowed in the exam center, so they should provide kennels right?

We found out about the change in the rule in an email from the Student Union about a week or two beforehand. It was mentioned in a paragraph at the bottom of the email IIRC. Most people I know (myself included) didn't even realise that the rule had changed until they landed at the first exam.

Nino Brown

Cathalog wrote: »

With regards to Bluetooth, that's technology that could transmit/receive data through the wall to a device outside the exam hall with relative ease. Failing that, WiFi has a massive range, so I fail to see your argument here. My point is, as another poster already said, if someone is determined to cheat in an exam, they will find a way to do it. No matter how many restrictions are put in place, there's always a way.
As a matter of interest, how do you think you could transmit data from an exam hall? A hidden keypad in your watch or something?

Not sure what your point is here. What bluetooth or wifi devices are allowed in exam halls?
A galaxy gear for example could take a picture of the exam and transmit the entire paper from the exam hall in a few seconds.

I understand that if somebody is determined to cheat, they will. But lets at least take one of the easiest most obvious methods out of the mix. It's really not a big deal, just leave the phone at home, I promise you'll survive.

Cathalog wrote: »

We found out about the change in the rule in an email from the Student Union about a week or two beforehand. It was mentioned in a paragraph at the bottom of the email IIRC. Most people I know (myself included) didn't even realise that the rule had changed until they landed at the first exam.

I dunno about you, but I;ve been doing exams for a long time, and phones have never been allowed in the exam hall

Antifa161

Nino Brown wrote: »

I dunno about you, but I;ve been doing exams for a long time, and phones have never been allowed in the exam hall

I must have sat about 40 exams and the only time I didn't have my phone with me in the exam was once out at the Racecourse where you left it on a table outside with your student number on a sticker.

sammyjo90

They have never been allowed in, it says it on the sign! they have just never enforced it and if you brought it in and were scared enough you put it on the floor (something which I never did, I just put it in my pocket)...
From what I can tell the new rule is that this is no longer allowed? no phones in the hall at all..? so turn it off and put it down your pants or something! if you are that worried thatit'll be discovered hide it in your sock, stick it in your jacket like the others said, or leave it at home.. this really should not be that hard to get used to!!

Antifa161

Come to think of it I've even had invigilators come over and double check/tell me to turn it face down on the floor.

I guess they must have had a meeting and decided too much common sense was being used for NUIG standards

peterc1991

emt16 wrote: »

why not drop your bag and phone into the cloakroom. It's a FREE service.

Also at the exam venues there are invigilators standing with the bags during the exams making sure that someone doesn't just walk in and steal bags.

But I can walk in after the exam or half an hour before the end when there is still 100's of bags belonging to people that are still in the hall and have a pick of whatever one I want.

I had my laptop and new phone with me and had to leave both in the little court room. If anyone saw someone put a really good phone into their bag it would be so easy to just wait a minute or two and go back and take the phone as no on would say anything to you.

It would be so much easier to allow people to leave there phone on the ground as some said or even allow them to bring their bag with them and leave it under the desk.

peterc1991

sammyjo90 wrote: »

They have never been allowed in, it says it on the sign! they have just never enforced it and if you brought it in and were scared enough you put it on the floor (something which I never did, I just put it in my pocket)...
From what I can tell the new rule is that this is no longer allowed? no phones in the hall at all..? so turn it off and put it down your pants or something! if you are that worried thatit'll be discovered hide it in your sock, stick it in your jacket like the others said, or leave it at home.. this really should not be that hard to get used to!!

The problem people have though is that you are threatened that if you just simply have the phone in the hall with you you are in breach of the rules.

Basically if I bring it in my pocket and it is seen to be on me I can get kicked out which is a bit strict.

They tell you before to put it in the hall. I had mine on my and sat for a few minutes before deciding to go back with it. I didn't really wanna do that bit then again I didn't want someone to come up to me and say they can see my phone and get kicked out.

Cathalog

Nino Brown wrote: »

Not sure what your point is here. What bluetooth or wifi devices are allowed in exam halls?
A galaxy gear for example could take a picture of the exam and transmit the entire paper from the exam hall in a few seconds.

None! But you're saying that someone could sneak in a BT device.
You said that having the phone on the ground beside students introduces a potential method of cheating; one could transfer data from a device (I assume a camera) to the phone by Bluetooth. You're saying that a Galaxy Kit could transfer the paper in seconds by Bluetooth, because the phone is on the ground nearby. My point is that this camera could just as easily transmit data to a phone that's left outside an exam hall if it had a decent BT antenna or Wifi capabilities. Same problem exists.

Nino Brown wrote: »

I understand that if somebody is determined to cheat, they will. But lets at least take one of the easiest most obvious methods out of the mix. It's really not a big deal, just leave the phone at home, I promise you'll survive.

I fail to see how bringing a phone into the venue to be left on the floor introduces an obvious cheating method. You're hardly going to pick it up in the middle of the exam - you'd be caught straight away.

Nino Brown wrote: »

I dunno about you, but I;ve been doing exams for a long time, and phones have never been allowed in the exam hall

Well, I'm saying that in the Kingfisher, last year, phones were allowed in the venue provided they were placed on the floor.

K.Flyer

Maybe this is what some of you need to be buying....

laoch na mona

the rule is a pain albeit a minor one