<p>Okay, well, of course, I am not hydrophobic (water is my favorite drink)--perhaps chlorine-phobic. I just do not want to drown. (Let's just say I have bad experience with pools, oceans, and other such large bodies of water). Is the test truly and horribly mandatory at U of C?!</p>
<p>You can either spend 5 minutes in the pool doing 4 laps, or you can spend a whole quarter in a swimming class. If you hate the water, what do you think is the logical choice?</p>
<p>Unless you want to get a doctor’s note about your intense water phobia (and go through a lengthy approval process proving you will be psychologically damaged from doing the swim test), I suggest you grin and bear it with everyone else and just swim the 4 laps.</p>
<p>Is there any time limit on this thing, or can one just leisurely float through it?</p>
<p>[Or is there a big line of students waiting to do the same thing, and a peer-pressure-enforced time limit?]</p>
<p>My older S cannot swim. He backfloated the entire four laps and passed. Took a long time (there is no time limit), but he was so thankful doesn’t have to take the swim class!!</p>
<p>This was the first piece of news he shared with us after getting to college. Suffice it to say we were (pleasantly) shocked!!</p>
<p>The rule is twice there, twice back. I didn’t see anyone dog-paddling or floating, but, yes, these are options. Another option is learning how to swim over the summer. It is an important skill and, who knows, it could become a favorite form of exercise! (Personally, I prefer treadmills).</p>
<p>DD is a swimmer and thought the test was quite easy. You can dog pedal, back float whatever… as long as your effort is continuous.</p>