Last minute exam updates due to heatwave: ‘I got the notification at 9pm the night before’ 

Erasmus University has cancelled the exams this Friday due to the heatwave, thesis defenses are still happening but online. Students found out about this later during the day before their examination. 

“I got the notification yesterday evening at 9 o’clock. My thesis defense was the next morning”, shares Joel, master’s student Marketing Management.

Thesis defense

On Thursday, at 6pm, students who had an exam the next day received an email about it being cancelled. Later on, at 9pm, all students received an email that teaching, exams, and operations are cancelled and adjusted. This left many students with thesis defenses confused about their situation. The Marketing Management student sent an email to his supervisor asking to do the defense online and received a reply quickly.

“I was definitely stressed when I saw the email so I sent one back to my supervisor. But my co-reader and coach discussed it with the thesis committee quickly and they agreed on doing the defense from home”, he explains. “It was a relief that I didn’t have to sit in the bus for an hour in 30 degrees and bad air-conditioning, while I have air-conditioning at home.”

Pleased

Thomas, Strategic Management master’s student, was supposed to have an exam this morning at 9am.

“We only found out yesterday at 6pm through an email sent by Orisis”, starts Thomas. “I thought it was a bit late since the code red was already in place a bit before and we were all left wondering what would happen.”

Jasper, a fellow student of Thomas, was supposed to take the same exam. “I’m pleased it was cancelled since the heat would have messed up my sleep. However, now I’m worried that it will be postponed to a date I might be away.”

Unclear

Both students don’t know yet when their exam will take place.

“Everyone in the group chat was very pissed”, shares Jasper. “Half of the people were vouching for an assignment or online assessment, while the others were simply angry because they had studied so hard and wanted to take the exam today.”

“Some of our classmates tried emailing teachers as well, however they are also confused and do not have an answer yet”, explains Thomas.