Hey guys, just got done with a final a few days ago and was looking for some perspective from the parents of CC. I’m also aware that there are a few lawyers here who could hopefully weigh in.
I’m a senior at a top rated state flagship and was taking a 3 hours philosophy final on Tuesday. During the test I got up to ask the professor if I could go to the bathroom and he said “no”. So essentially I had to turn in the exam and get ~30% or hold it for the next hour and be in extreme discomfort and not be able to concentrate. I finished maybe first or second because I was rushing through so quickly since I didn’t want to go in class. Needless to say I didn’t do nearly as well as I would have and it dropped my grade pretty significantly. Since I’m hoping to go to law school, which is highly GPA oriented, is there anything I can do about this? Is it legal for him to do this to a 24 year old adult?
I had an exam on Early Modern Japan that was also 3 hours long just a few days prior to the philosophy exam and he let me go no problem. Do I just have to accept my grade and move on? Should I attempt to fight this? I most likely would have made an A in the class if I was able to focus and this just doesn’t seem right to me.
I work as a test proctor (computerized tests). Were you told beforehand that no bathroom breaks were allowed during exams? If it was communicated verbally or by written method, you were made aware. Personally, I am not surprised by what happened. (I am more surprised by the allowance during your other exam.)
Honestly, disability or medical crisis aside, I’m kind of surprised you were allowed to leave and then return to an exam room.
And, again barring a disability, I would be concerned that you needed 2 bathroom breaks in 2 exams. The kids in my high school are expected to sit through a 3 hour final exam without a bathroom break— whether they finish early or not.
Absolutely straight, no sarcasm intended: have you had your blood sugar checked? One of the signs of diabetes is the frequent need for a bathroom break.
I checked the UT Law website and law graduate students are allowed to leave for a bathroom break during their exams. No, I don’t have a disability. And thanks for suggesting I’m possibly diabetic. I do have a severe case of anxiety which could contribute to me having to pee when I’m nervous, this happens a lot during tests or in class in general.
Also this isn’t high school, I’m an adult. Barring me from going to the bathroom and forcing me to either mess my pants or receive a 30 seems inhumane at best.
OK, I’m glad you took that in the spirit in which it was intended.
(I once had a kid who went to the bathroom from my class every day. When I called him on it, he said he was being tested for diabetes. Knowing the signs, I let him go. When I called mom a few weeks later-- to let her know he wouldn’t graduate if he didn’t pass my class-- I asked about the results of his testing. Imagine my surprise when she said her HUSBAND was being tested, and that her son was not diabetic. He had a very unpleasant discussion with the dean shortly thereafter.)
Could you possibly let the proctors know-- or follow whatever protocol exists-- about the link between the anxiety and the need to leave the testing room? Is there an office for disabilities or whatever that could get you that accommodation?
Hmmm, I have no idea. My gut says no, but I’ve certainly been wrong before.
What do you have to lose by asking? Can you produce some sort of documentation-- have you worked with any sort of health care professional who can attest to the anxiety issues?
Not allowing bathroom breaks is probably intended to mitigate cheating. In fact I read a post here the other day where the professor was describing the fact that students will go to the bathroom to log in to class material using a cell phone during exams.
Sorry for the uncomfortable situation. I doubt there is much you can do about it this time.
@NorthernMom61 I’ve literally never had this issue before in 7 full semesters, and I always use the bathroom during and before class. If I thought I needed special permission, as an adult, in order to carry out a basic bodily function I definitely would have gotten said permission. It just never even occurred to me that someone would deny a grown human being the opportunity to use the restroom. Or that it would be legal for that matter.
Stuff could be written on stall walls. Or on your arm, where you can lift your sleeve to see it in privacy. You could call a friend who’s not in class and he could google the answer. You can hide a textbook under a garbage can. There are a million ways to cheat once you’re out of the line of site of the proctor.
Again, give it a shot. But I’m not positive you’ll be successful. You were free to leave the room and use the bathroom-- you weren’t being held against your will. But it meant a choice between taking the exam and leaving.
Let me tell you what happened to me in an engineering class at UT. I was out in the hall after finishing an exam. A guy said, “Hey, how did you do that last problem?” and I told him. To my surprise, he went back into the classroom - he hadn’t finished the test! I told the proctor, but I don’t remember what happened. So cheating DOES happen. And I understand that this situation was different than yours, but it’s similar.
We get it that you don’t think it’s fair. We’re just explaining why the professor may have had this policy. There’s nothing else we can tell you.
And yes, if you need accommodations, you have to get permission from the Office of Students with Disabilities at the beginning of every semester. You have to give each professor a copy of the letter. Even if you have the same professor more than once, he or she has to get the letter at the beginning of the semester in order for you to receive accommodations.