<p>Am I understanding this correctly...Calc 1 and 2 all test on the last exam day, Saturday, December 14th, at 7:00pm??? <a href="http://registrar.vanderbilt.edu/cms/wp-content/files/Fall_2013_Branded_Final_Exam_Schedule_FINAL.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://registrar.vanderbilt.edu/cms/wp-content/files/Fall_2013_Branded_Final_Exam_Schedule_FINAL.pdf</a></p>
<p>S is scheduled for Math 175, but might drop back to 155b. Hmmm.....</p>
<p>Really should wait till your son gets the syllabus on the first day, but yes, for calc it does appear that the exams are standardized and set for the 14th.</p>
<p>I might wait on that one, but airfare is pretty cheap now. Is it possible that the exam schedule will change, Pancaked, or do profs deviate from the schedule?</p>
<p>For most classes, if the Professor is giving a final during the final exam period, it will most definitely be according to the schedule given. However, not all classes have in class final exams: some have papers or even take home final exams. </p>
<p>The single variable calculus sequences (150/155) and general chemistry (102) courses; however, have standardized exams and thus there will be an exam at the time given in the schedule. </p>
<p>It is worthwhile to wait until after the add/drop period ends to buy plane tickets because students often change there schedules during the period (thus affecting final exam schedules).</p>
<p>Professors may offer an alternate date, give a final before finals week, assign a paper/project instead of a final, etc. But yes the calculus final date will not change</p>
<p>Students tend to be in no big rush to get home so don’t be worried about getting your child outta Nashville ASAP.</p>
<p>I’d wait until several weeks into the term to purchase the tickets. Plans change, and classes are dropped and added. Your son may end up dropping something and picking up something else with a different exam schedule. Unless you can buy tickets on Southwest, which is the only airline without a change fee, just wait a bit.</p>
<p>Yes, I should have mentioned that I was trying to take advantage of the Southwest sale last night. It doesn’t get any cheaper than $48! If it would have occurred to me, I would have bought two different flights for the way home, and just canceled the one for credit for another trip. Oh well! I got great deals for Family Weekend, Fall break, Thanksgiving break, and Winter break (just might have change one leg.). Thanks for the feedback.</p>
<p>Son never really wanted to catch a plane immediately anyhow. Buzzed from exams, piles of laundry can get done, or get books to resell at bookstore, chill out, clean room after the rigors of the last weeks of a semester. Important dates for parents to calendar are the exact date/time you have to be out of the dorm which is on the academic calendar.<br>
You can always aim for a couple of days before that “you must be out” date when in doubt if you think work will be complete. Keep in mind that some students need extensions now and then and might scramble post final exams to do papers or lab work esp if they have had setbacks like an illness or something. </p>
<p>Son took flights home that last day often, getting to airport by 7am and being out of his room before the 9am deadline. During ice storms, inclement weather, and for special circumstances…(international students, student activities) you may put in requests to stay in the dorm past the deadline for departures. Student services shut down, dorms will shut down, but sometimes there is permission given to stay in your room to get your flight late or for other approved reasons. Vandy is an easy place to sleep even in those circumstances…easy as pie to get meals when dining is closed on foot around outskirts of campus.</p>
<p>For Atlanta students, there was sometimes a bus I think chartered on those shorter breaks…perhaps a student can confirm this? So convenient when you are only four hours away. </p>
<p>Also, your son or daughter can sign up for Vandy organized shuttles to the airport on the obviously most likely days for departures. They might not be the right schedule for you but they are there for the most likely times students need to get to the airport. You have to be at the airport two hours early. In Nashville, with any luck, you won’t have any serious traffic obstacles to the airport as you might risk in Atlanta or NYC but Nashville highways are busy at peak hours and slow down. Another “trick” in my book is to make sure you don’t book your son or daughter on the last flight into your home airport. On major holidays a canceled flight to a hub or a delay will seriously eliminate you getting a seat on the final leg. So try not to do that. (I learned this one the hard way as our home airport is tiny and late flights are extremely full on holidays).</p>
<p>There are plenty of taxis in the Commons parking lots that have been called as well on airport departure days and on dates that dorms can be opened up again. Students learn to call taxi companies early (the days before…they call and book), and son always had a taxi on time when he called. Nashville is easier to depart from than larger cities…not too bad at all.</p>
<p>It looks like the calculus exams are at 7 p.m. Saturday and the dorms close at 9 a.m. Sunday. That is not much time to get ready to fly out. It doesn’t sound like that exam time will change though. Is that accurate? Any chance of a change in the schedule?</p>
<p>Hi All,</p>
<p>I have a related break question. Pancaked, perhaps you’ll know.</p>
<p>I thought I read somewhere that the dorms may open on November 30 of Thanksgiving break since Vandy has a big football game at home against Wake Forest. The schedule currently has the dorms opening on 12/1. I think they did something like this during the Music City Bowl as well. </p>
<p>My son is a huge sports fan and if he has the opportunity to get back in time for this game, he’ll want to go.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if there is a chance they let the kids return a day early for this?</p>
<p>@Idk, that’s probably true-ish. You’ll probably have to be checked out of your room by the afternoon on Sunday. It’s not like you have to get ready between the exam and the morning… Ideally you’d pretty much be packed and ready to go before exam time.</p>
<p>I’ve never really understood what it means for dorms to “open” and “close.” At the end of the year, you do have to check out of your room and turn in your key, but otherwise, it doesn’t seem to matter. In my experience I’ve been able to come/go as I pleased, whether or not the dorms are “closed.” I’ve stayed after dorms they “closed” and before they “opened” repeatedly so I really just don’t know what it means. My card has always worked on the buildings and of course my key has always worked on my door.</p>
<p>I guess I cold be wrong about this but that’s just been my experience. I’m 99.9% certain the dorms will be accessible the day of that football game.</p>
<p>Just wanted to mention that I LOVE Southwest for getting our son to/from Nashville. Even if you end up having to change the flight, they won’t charge a change fee (though price for the new flight may be higher by then.)</p>
<p>Let me put a P.S. on Faline2’s post–we have always found InShuttle to be the best way to get from campus to the airport (will run according to YOUR schedule, unlike the Greyline buses or the Vandy organized shuttle and cheaper than cabs)–it is a small bus that will pick up a few Vandy students (from either of a couple of spots on the Commons) then go directly to the airport.<br>
jdell–Regarding the dorms opening early on Nov. 30 because of a home football game–Coach James Franklin was able to persuade Housing to open the dorms early last time there was a game during Thanksgiving and for the Music City Bowl over winter break so I’m betting he will do it again this year.
idklol–I’ve never heard of them changing the exam schedule once it has been published but that does seem harsh with a 7PM Saturday exam and 9AM Sunday for dorms closing. Even if a student does stay beyond the closing date (by permission which VU often will grant, there is a posted date by which you are to apply to Housing for permission or if you simply stay like pancaked suggests) the dining halls will be closed. However, there are lots of places within walking distance to eat and several will even take Commodore Cash, if the student has been to busy to get to the ATM.
I will agree that my D never liked to depart for winter break immediately after her last exam, she didn’t want to have to worry about laundry and packing while trying to study.</p>
<p>I stand corrected–my daughter who is a rising junior said that in her time at school they HAVE posted an incorrect exam schedule or had to adjust the schedule once it was published, so you may want to wait before buying plane tickets, if at all possible, or do as one mother suggested and book two alternate departure dates on Southwest and cancel one for future credit once it is certain the schedule will not be changed (don’t you love Southwest Airlines!?)</p>
<p>Unlike others, my D is always anxious to get out of town as soon as her exams are over. Many times, most of her friends are gone already, and no one feels like doing anything anyway. Everyone is tired and just wants to go home.</p>
<p>To stay past the “close” date or return before the “open” date, you just have to fill out a form on the housing website selecting which days you will be there over break. You don’t have to give a reason and you will be automatically confirmed–the purpose is mainly so housing knows who is there and knows not to send maintenance staff into an occupied room.</p>