The greatest thing about studying at Victoria University is its continuous surprise and mystique. The threat of the unknown is constant until the last possible moment – this year’s moment is 5 September. I am of course referring to our exam timetables.
This ingenious feature of Victoria’s management has become an attribute over the years, servicing students effectively and efficiently. By not knowing when our exams are going to be, we are left in a steady condition of suspense. This sense of anticipation stimulates adrenaline, the best friend to any hardcore studier or successful performer.
Those who bitch about wanting to know when they will be finished with exams so they can plan their summer holidays or jobs have their priorities all wrong. We have paid and are enrolled in uni up until the final day of the trimester – the final day of the exam period. To excel at anything you need to be completely in the moment you are in, not worrying about what will happen after the moment. By not being able to see too far into the future, our minds are forced to focus in on what is happening now – like learning the vital information we are being taught in class. You won’t catch any of us staring at our calendar daydreaming about study plans instead of doing our essay that’s due tomorrow.
This habit of Victoria University has also created quite a glowing reputation for itself. Onlookers from other institutions watch in awe as Victoria’s staff tackle what would to many be considered a logistical nightmare. Juggling everything at the last minute must require some mind-boggling administration work. Those who take the easy route, by sorting it out before the trimester begins, battle to fathom how the selfless timetablemakers manage without (too many) mistakes.
But more than anything, not knowing our exam timetables really spices things up. It gives uni a real game show quality. I can’t wait for 5 September when the presenter will open the floor and say, “Let’s see what exam is behind door number one.”