So the OP didn’t look at the test requirements of the college?
In more than 30 years of college teaching (including when I was in graduate school), never once did a student get up in the middle of a final exam and request a bathroom break. Thousands of students. I did make a variety of accommodations for students of disability. Blind students were given study guides and oral exams. Others were given additional time to complete the exam, and so on. All students knew the rules.
Likely if you had this as a pre-approved accommodation, they would send someone to escort you to the bathroom and back … sans your cell phone and likely a purse.
I think if you were truly ill and had left the class and not returned, you could have demanded a retest, but it seems wildly too late and you did finish, if uncomfortably.
Discuss this with your doctor, bladder issues should be treated and other … ahem … isssues could maybe have been dealt with a pre-test Pepto-Bismol. If they feel there is a need for accomodations, they can write you a note, you can apply for accommodations and you can take your mid-exam potty break.
As you continue in college, you also should learn to keep your test stress to manageable levels.
It does remind me of when DCA airport in Washington DC had a rule that all passengers had to be seated 30 minutes outside of DC or the flight would be turned around. My son was about 2, recently potted trained, fascinated with the airplane bathrooms, and had used the bathroom every 30 minutes the entire flight. Our flight attendant, and trust me she was ours at that point, was extremely nervous he would have to go during the prohibited period.
We landed without incident.
One of my kids DOES have diabetes (type 1, insulin pump) and has exams in a separate room with her own proctor.
I honestly am surprised that more students don’t have trouble going 3 hours without a break.
I think you should have a retest, but have no idea how you might go about this retroactively. I suggest you talk with an advocate of some sort. I am not sure this is related to anxiety. It could be something else, physiological, or just a lot of coffee before the exam.
I think schools should change these policies. There must be a more humane way to prevent cheating, an escort, sweep of the bathroom, check cell phones at the door and so on.
I am sorry you went through this and also about the consequences.
Even if accommodated students are allowed bathroom breaks (sans phones/purses), how do they know if the person has a cheat sheet or whatever, hidden in their clothes…or another phone?
I think a better solution is not having 3 hour tests w/o scheduled breaks…half the test is given/collected…then break…then the other half is given.
I know some women have heavy periods and they might not be able to go 3 hours without addressing the situation. Don’t know if that “rises to the level” of getting an accommodation.
When I took AP Exams, taking a bathroom break during the test was allowed. I don’t understand why it wouldn’t be the same for a college test…
^^
Do you mean that you were allowed to take potty breaks “in between” sections? (meaning that one section ended, and you couldn’t go back to that section after the potty break?)
If so, that’s normal. That’s done with SAT and ACT and other standardized tests.
The issue here is people leaving during “one long test” where theoretically, a person could “cheat” and look up an answer and return to the test.
@mom2collegekids I have this type of accommodation on file but have only had to use it once. The professor requested both my exam and my phone- happy to oblige. Couldn’t take anything in or out of the room with me. Does that guarantee no cheating? Nope but it’s probably the best way to do it.
I’m also surprised that a professor allowed the OP to leave. Without fail, in my classes, it has been a rule that you can’t leave the room until your exam is over. OTOH, I’ve never had to take a three hour test unless it was a 2 part test with a break in the middle. That seems like an unreasonable amount of time for individuals to sit through a test without a break.
@mom2collegekids Literally during the test.
@mom2collegekids I’ve had multiple IB and AP tests where students were allowed to take “potty breaks” during a section, if they needed to, not just “in between” sections. I wouldn’t, however, expect that to extend to college exams.
@“Erin’s Dad” I guess none of the professors read the testing policies either since I’ve never had a problem getting a bathroom break before. That rule is probably for the university testing center.
@compmom Thank you for the reply. I’ve emailed the dean of the school of Liberal Arts. And honestly, a lot of students do have issues making it through these exams, which is precisely the reason I was shocked when he told me I couldn’t go. I don’t drink coffee.
@MaineLonghorn “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.”
If I knew I needed an “accommodation” to carry out a basic bodily function I certainly would have. My mistake.
And to the person who said I did have a choice, to fail the exam or continue taking it with the risk of peeing my pants, wow…just wow.
What I remember is that you could leave early, but had to turn in your test and not come back.
@MaineLonghorn “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.”
Um no, this is not similar in any way. For one, no one was done with the exam when I asked to use the bathroom so this scenario could never have taken place.
I agree that this kind of urgency need not involve a disability. Maybe a “difference” (which I actually share!) but not a disability. Three hours is a long time for many people. I think this is an issue that should be brought up for everyone really, and hope you find some understanding at some level.
To be fair, was the actual exam expected to take all three hours? My university designates time slots of three hours for each class’ final exam, but rarely if ever does the exam take that long. If the professor expected this to take only an hour or so, I’d be inclined to agree. Not to mention that just because there were no other student finished yet who you could’ve asked in the hallway, as in MaineLonghorn’s example, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a possibility later. If the professor were to have let you go, he would have had to allow anyone who asked. Not saying that what happened was right, but that there is more than one viewpoint.
Yes… hence, you can’t leave until your exam is over. Once you turn it in and don’t come back, your test is over.
You seriously got all the way through school with never having any teacher say you can’t leave the classroom during an exam? How did you complete the SAT?
The SAT is done in sections with time limits much shorter than three hours for each section, so the break issue was probably not noticed then. High school final exams may not be three hours long either. A college final exam may be the OP’s first experience with a three hour long test.