<p>Do we have to dive in using a diving board or just off the edge (ground) of the pool? Feet first</p>
<p>Is it possible to not take the swim test and then also not take any swim classes freshman year? Are we then allowed to take the test sophomore year?</p>
<p>you’re required to take the swim test when you come to cornell, but I have friends who had “accidentally” missed all the swim test dates, so they’ll have to do it some other year before they graduate. No, you don’t have to use the diving board.</p>
<p>don’t worry about it too much, as long you don’t drown in water you’ll pass.</p>
<p>So is it hard to jump in the water? I can swim.</p>
<p>no, you just jump and start swimming.</p>
<p>I took the test a billion years ago but we didn’t even need to swim … we just needed to get in the water and not drown … you could swim, float, or tread water … just as long as you stayed alive.</p>
<p>^the rules as of 2008 were you needed to go one length on your front, one length on your back, and then one final length however you preferred. so you do need to move in some directed ways.</p>
<p>I don’t recalling that jumping in was any kind of issue, but if it’s the one thing holding you back then perhaps you ought to try it out somewhere ahead of time. I know that’s easier said than done but it could save you time/worry.</p>
<p>This is probably a stupid question, but what is the swim test?</p>
<p>Is it only for people on the swim team (if they have one), or is it something everyone must do?</p>
<p>Everyone must take the swim test. It’s just three laps in the pool. As everyone else was saying, you basically pass if you just don’t drown.</p>
<p>I am surprised that I never read about that before. For some reason, I am really excited to take the swim test, despite it being nothing special. :P</p>
<p>When my son took the swim test in 2006, it was a really hot move in day. He was with a bunch of teammates and other new friends and they enjoyed the cooling off aspect of the swim test. They would have all liked to have been required to do several more laps!</p>
<p>PS - and if the test is scaring anyone it isn’t really a problem at all … at least when I was there in the late 70s / early 80s … if you flunked you took swimming as one of your PE courses and then you were OK.</p>
<p>Yea, my roommate failed and he had to take the swim course. It counts for one of the two PE classes you need to graduate, so it actually works out pretty well if you fail.</p>