snow - ALL EXAMS RESUMING AS SCHEDULED AS OF 12TH JANUARY

KGA333

True. Although I guess they were just trying to make a point. I know I tried ringing exams office this am and couldn't get through. They're probably up to their eyes with calls.

DingChavez

Michellenman wrote: »

Then ring the college to find out!? Absolutely zero point in adding a middle man.

They said they couldn't get through to the college.

Michellenman

If exams were being postponed students would've been notified by now. If they're not contacting people then it's safe to assume that exams are going ahead as normal. There was no 'point' for this person to make, all they succeeded in doing was putting doubt in to other people's minds whether or not exams were going ahead.

Michellenman

DingChavez wrote: »

They said they couldn't get through to the college.

To reiterate, if exams were being postponed then we would have been contacted by now. Ringing Ireland AM serves no purpose.

LeixlipRed

KGA333 wrote: »

True. Although I guess they were just trying to make a point. I know I tried ringing exams office this am and couldn't get through. They're probably up to their eyes with calls.

Or maybe the just hadn't got into work yet. Admin staff start work at 930.

LeixlipRed

DingChavez wrote: »

They said they couldn't get through to the college.

Haha, Ireland is a hilarious country. "I tried ringing the minute I woke up but there was no answer! I can't believe they won't answer my call at 7 in the morning!!".

KGA333

you cant blame people for being genuinely worried though. Things are horrific in the Country, local councils have run out of salt, both main and secondary routes are either closed, impassable or just plain trecherous, trains are delayed, buses are both delayed and stopped altogether so its a real concern. Granted its only snow and the world wont end but we're not cut out to cope with it in this little country of ours.

Michellenman

Michellenman wrote: »

To reiterate, if exams were being postponed then we would have been contacted by now. Ringing Ireland AM serves no purpose.

Quite true. Did ye see the email about the Dean:

those of you preparing applications for IRCHSS funding are very likely to be looking for the Dean’s signature today and tomorrow.



Unfortunately, due to the adverse weather conditions, the Dean is not in the office today (Tuesday 5th Jan). It is very much hoped that she will be available and in the office tomorrow to give you signatures, but if the weather does not improve, this may prove impossible.

lol so they Dean doesnt have to come in with the weather, the folks in the library can go home early because of the weather. They see a problem.

I`d rather do the exams in January be a major hassle repeating in final year and not graduating until Oct. 99.9% sure they wont postpone the exams - havent they already started today. Still nice to see the Dean can stay at home.

KGA333

Perhps this mught help clear things up-I've just gotten off the phone to the Exams office and as of now the exams are going ahead. They have to facilitate the majority of students who are already up there and could travel. They may have to review things later on but by all accounts exams will go on. If you cant get up then its unfortunate but your own tough luck basically.

ha-ya-said-what

Michellenman wrote: »

Also, anyone else see the load of footprints across the canal at the train station? Retards.

LOL you never found out about that did you, very old tradition of the kids in Maynooth gooooooeesss way back, they walk the canal when it's frozen. Them & even older have been firing stones & rocks as big as they can find at it for ages testing how strong the ice. Dunno what their fascination is with is but they seem do it anyway the lunatics!

MTAR

Seems like there is a bit of abuse going on in this forum! Anyway this is what the surrounding area of Maynooth is like tody: M50 passable although care is needed (plenty of abandoned cars along the road), Enfield to kilcock to maynooth road passable extreme care needed from enfield to kilcock (no abandonded cars but plenty of holes in fences and bushes from cars), Leixlip to Maynooth road passable care needed (captains hill was at a standstill yesterday although is usually well gritted), Celbridge to Maynooth road passable care needed, Straffan road and Clane road passable, N7 well gritted but caution needed. Unfortunately I have heard a lot of the surrounding roads (i.e. Allenwood-Clane, Blanchardstown back roads, MEATH, Kilcloon road) are all near impassable with no gritting and a heavy build up of ice.

Think the point of this thread (only read to page 4 and I can see there are some completely ignorant cu*ts on it) is the facts that outside the "greater" Dublin area the roads have received no gritting and therefore are extermely dangerous. With buses cancled (a friend of mine missed a test in dublin today due to a bus not showing up), trains heavily delayed and the airport shut (another friend is stuck abroad for tests at the moment) is there no wiggle room to adjust certain tests? Even to move the tests from Friday 8th and Saturday 9th to the end of the exam timetable or re-schedule them to another date during the exams. The AA and NRA are both saying people should not leave their houses (again mainly outside the "greater" Dublin area) unless absolutely necessary, I personally dont have far to travel but others do and having driven on main roads in meath aswell as back roads here I would not deem my exams absolutely necessary.

Obviously the college should have sent out an email to students letting them know the situation regarding exams and if you fail to turn up to one. Now personally I dont need the exams re-scheduled but I do feel sorry for people snowed in in other parts of the country and don't think it is fair for people to have to repeat exams in August due to an "Act of God" as ryanair are saying.
Unfortunatly snow is forecasted again today and to be honest the sky in maynooth does look like it will happen soon, temperatures I think hit -9 last night and could be the same again tonight.

MTAR

Seems like there is a bit of abuse going on in this forum! Anyway this is what the surrounding area of Maynooth is like tody: M50 passable although care is needed (plenty of abandoned cars along the road), Enfield to kilcock to maynooth road passable extreme care needed from enfield to kilcock (no abandonded cars but plenty of holes in fences and bushes from cars), Leixlip to Maynooth road passable care needed (captains hill was at a standstill yesterday although is usually well gritted), Celbridge to Maynooth road passable care needed, Straffan road and Clane road passable, N7 well gritted but caution needed. Unfortunately I have heard a lot of the surrounding roads (i.e. Allenwood-Clane, Blanchardstown back roads, MEATH, Kilcloon road) are all near impassable with no gritting and a heavy build up of ice.

Think the point of this thread (only read to page 4 and I can see there are some completely ignorant cu*ts on it) is the facts that outside the "greater" Dublin area the roads have received no gritting and therefore are extermely dangerous. With buses cancled (a friend of mine missed a test in dublin today due to a bus not showing up), trains heavily delayed and the airport shut (another friend is stuck abroad for tests at the moment) is there no wiggle room to adjust certain tests? Even to move the tests from Friday 8th and Saturday 9th to the end of the exam timetable or re-schedule them to another date during the exams. The AA and NRA are both saying people should not leave their houses (again mainly outside the "greater" Dublin area) unless absolutely necessary, I personally dont have far to travel but others do and having driven on main roads in meath aswell as back roads here I would not deem my exams absolutely necessary.

Obviously the college should have sent out an email to students letting them know the situation regarding exams and if you fail to turn up to one. Now personally I dont need the exams re-scheduled but I do feel sorry for people snowed in in other parts of the country and don't think it is fair for people to have to repeat exams in August due to an "Act of God" as ryanair are saying.
Unfortunatly snow is forecasted again today and to be honest the sky in maynooth does look like it will happen soon, temperatures I think hit -9 last night and could be the same again tonight.

Michellenman

MTAR wrote: »

....

Obviously the college should have sent out an email to students letting them know the situation regarding exams and if you fail to turn up to one. Now personally I dont need the exams re-scheduled but I do feel sorry for people snowed in in other parts of the country and don't think it is fair for people to have to repeat exams in August due to an "Act of God" as ryanair are saying.
Unfortunatly snow is forecasted again today and to be honest the sky in maynooth does look like it will happen soon, temperatures I think hit -9 last night and could be the same again tonight.

Cheers for the heads up on the road conditions.

I get what you're saying here but can you honestly expect the college to just dole out passes to students when there's been no exam? If people don't sit an exam the college can't just say 'oh, well, it was really snowy that day, give them a pass'. Repeating them is fair and is the right thing to do. I'd prefer to actually earn a grade than just be handed one. If the college were to do that the system would undoubtedly be abused and there would be people looking for exemptions and special considerations all over the place when in actual fact they could be sitting in their living room in Moyglare or something. Now I'm not saying that everyone would do that but you would get chancers, and that isn't fair on people who actually do the exam on the assigned day and who have studied hard for it.

What I don't understand (and I honestly don't mean to antagonise anyone here) is why have the people who live in the country not just come early for the exams. We knew there was going to be snow, we knew that travelling would be difficult and if you live up here during the semester surely you have a house/apartment to come up to? Why not come up at the start of the week instead of leaving it until 1/2/3/however many days before when the (expected) weather has worsened and it's hard for you to get here?

LeixlipRed

What people seem to miss compleltely, again and again, that in situations like this, there is no way to determine genuine cases from the not so genuine. That is why the exams are not being moved. The majority of students are not effected too aversely by snow, hence no postponement. It's not that difficult to comprehend. And no one is ignorant of the situation in rural areas. What people do seem to be ignorant of is that most Maynooth students live in the town or are on the commuter belt. Majority rules.

Cpt Beefheart

For anyone planning an early morning arrival at college, the arts block will be open from 7.00 am onwards. I rang security this morning and thats what the man said.:). Godd luck on getting to Maynooth everyone.

alexi_mcg

I don't think people are getting the point. Sure the weather has got bad in the east in the past week, but most of the rest of the country has had these road conditions for the past 3 weeks. I'm in Roscommon, the mayo side, and the roads are very dangerous to travel on. Main roads are a bit slippy at best but the smaller country roads are lethal. I ventured out twice but it was very dodgy. Snow is not the issue, its the inches of solid ice that causes the problems. It's no different to me whether I had travelled Christmas day or today, so those of you saying its our own tough for not travelling earlier, it just wasn't possible.

As for the view that those of us looking for exams to be postponed are just looking for a free pass, you should really look up the meaning of postponement. I don't want a free pass but equally I don't want to be forced to repeat in Aug and graduate in Oct. Surely they could consider earlier repeats or something.

Lord TSC

why have the people who live in the country not just come early for the exams. We knew there was going to be snow, we knew that travelling would be difficult and if you live up here during the semester surely you have a house/apartment to come up to? Why not come up at the start of the week instead of leaving it until 1/2/3/however many days before when the (expected) weather has worsened and it's hard for you to get here?

I can only talk for myself here, and excuse me if I go off on a rant.

There's an attitude with some people in this topic that has irked me since I began in Maynooth five years ago. There seems to be a complete blockage in the minds of some when it comes to understanding what commutters go though.

Now, I understand that the decision to travel up and down to the college on a daily basis is a personal one. For the last five years, I've gone up and down from Drogheda every morning, and that bus journey takes an hour and a half. I've long since accepted therefore that the "college life" is not aimed at me. Because my bus leaves after six, I miss pretty much all the clubs and socieities. Because I've got long travels to make, I accept that I cannot take part in certain things. For me, college is simply somewhere I spend my day being educated and all that extra stuff is for those fortunate enough to live up on Campus or in the area.

I can't afford to live up in Maynooth. It was enough of a struggle to make it through the first few years when I was getting a student grant. Now, I've lost that, I'm living on pretty much no money. So staying in B&Bs and that is just out of the question for me. As for "staying with friends", again, cause I had no social life up there, I never made friends who were living up there, at least not to an extent where I'd ask to crash with them. Pretty much all my friends were fellow commutters. But I accept the fact this is my problem and no one elses. I don't expect the college to close come 6 o clock, nor do I expect everything to revolve around the commutter's life choice. I'm considerate to the fact some people live in Maynooth and need the entertainment afterhours.

However, this consideration seems difficult to find in return when it comes to those living up in Maynooth and their intolerance of the difficulties we who travel face.

I can barely get out of my driveway, let alone drive an hour and a half up on dangerous back roads. I'm sitting here at home and I've already seen two car crashes in the last 24 hours just outside my estate entrance. The idea of trying to traverse the country roads which we'd usually take is a hideous one.

If I lived 5 or 10 minutes away from the college, yeah, I'd brave it. But the idea of trying to travel for the hour and a half up on those icy roads is crazy. Yet, in the minds of some selfish people, the risk of human life shouldn't affect their life styles. I'm sorry if you're living up in Maynooth and thus have easy access to the facilitates, but a large contingancy of people do commute, and you could at least pretend to care about them. And yet, it sums up the mindset of a large group of people who live up there. "I'm fine, so **** everyone else".

I don't think anyone has asked for a special pass through the exams. No one is hoping they won't have to sit the exams, period. What people want are some sort of compramises whereby the fact they would be risking their life if they tried to attend should be taken on board. They simply want reaffirment that they aren't risking their degrees because of natural causes preventing them going to the exams. Yes, there are people who would take advantage of getting etra student time, but I'd rather that than having people risk their lifes trying to get to the exams.

Congratulations if you had the foresight and the money to be up in Maynooth already, but for those of us who can't, we'd like some achknowledgement of the fact it's dangerous to get to the college. Furthermore, this isn't a one day situation we're talking of here. The roads around my area have been leathal for weeks now. I'm not lying when I say I have left the house a total of three times in the past two weeks. Things weren't amazingly dandy yesterday morning and then wham, the unprepared got caught. It's been dangerous to go out for two weeks now. It just went from bad to worse...

I'd also question the idea of "most people live up or around Maynooth". I have no facts or figures to prove otherwise. I'm just generally curious as to what percentage of the student base actually live within a five minute radius...

[/rant <_<]

MTAR

I get what you're saying here but can you honestly expect the college to just dole out passes to students when there's been no exam? If people don't sit an exam the college can't just say 'oh, well, it was really snowy that day, give them a pass'. Repeating them is fair and is the right thing to do. I'd prefer to actually earn a grade than just be handed one.

I wasnt saying hand out results just that the exams mite be put back a few days. Also the commuter belt has been severely effected LeixlipRed. Being from leixlip im guessing you know that confey college among other schools in the area have been closed till further notice. That means it is dangerous for people to travel to school in that locality. Also it is unfair to say that the majority of people live in the commuter belt as a lot of students live outside it and althought the whole country has not been affected the people who have to travel from those area's have to travel through parts that have been.

Also to say that people have known about the conditions for weeks, well they have also been told not to travel on the roads for weeks! Remember the icy conditions have been around since before christmass! I would like to see anyone who didnt travel home for christmass just due to exams....

Again im not saying they should be cancled or re-arranged just I think there is just reason to have them put back.

banquo

Loads folks out walking on the frozen canal last night. They got out to the little island by the train station and back! Seriosuly, they were running around and stuff. It was stupid, but they didn't fall through. Just shows how thick it all is.

mp3guy

Less than 24 hours until the exams. No way they're being cancelled now. Especially since everyone had over a months notice before their first exam and the weather was no surprise either.

Lord TSC

banquo wrote: »

Loads folks out walking on the frozen canal last night. They got out to the little island by the train station and back! Seriosuly, they were running around and stuff. It was stupid, but they didn't fall through. Just shows how thick it all is.

The ice isn't the only thing that's thick ¬_¬

mp3guy

Sorry guys;

https://moodle.nuim.ie/2010/

Game, Set And Match Point!

cian1500ww

I should be ok as long as they don't close the N4 by Sunday evening. I'd go up sooner if I could.

LeixlipRed

No one suggested you're all looking for a free pass. Yet none of you concede that my points about the majority of students being fine to make the exams is valid. You have no point in that regard. You'd swear you all thought I wanted you to die on the way here or something. You can't make it safely, don't go. What's to say you can make a new date for a hypothetically postponed exam? Do we wait until all ice has left all roads (April maybe)? No, we don't. We do what is best for the majority. And that is to stick to the timetable as is.

LeixlipRed

MTAR wrote: »

Being from leixlip im guessing you know that confey college among other schools in the area have been closed till further notice. .

That's because CC is at the end of a huge hill. Not even related to what we're talking about. Maynooth is accesible by several major roads, all of which are fine as of this morning!

Michellenman

Teamshadowclan wrote: »

I can only talk for myself here, and excuse me if I go off on a rant.

There's an attitude with some people in this topic that has irked me since I began in Maynooth five years ago. There seems to be a complete blockage in the minds of some when it comes to understanding what commutters go though.

Now, I understand that the decision to travel up and down to the college on a daily basis is a personal one. For the last five years, I've gone up and down from Drogheda every morning, and that bus journey takes an hour and a half. I've long since accepted therefore that the "college life" is not aimed at me. Because my bus leaves after six, I miss pretty much all the clubs and socieities. Because I've got long travels to make, I accept that I cannot take part in certain things. For me, college is simply somewhere I spend my day being educated and all that extra stuff is for those fortunate enough to live up on Campus or in the area.

I can't afford to live up in Maynooth. It was enough of a struggle to make it through the first few years when I was getting a student grant. Now, I've lost that, I'm living on pretty much no money. So staying in B&Bs and that is just out of the question for me. As for "staying with friends", again, cause I had no social life up there, I never made friends who were living up there, at least not to an extent where I'd ask to crash with them. Pretty much all my friends were fellow commutters. But I accept the fact this is my problem and no one elses. I don't expect the college to close come 6 o clock, nor do I expect everything to revolve around the commutter's life choice. I'm considerate to the fact some people live in Maynooth and need the entertainment afterhours.

However, this consideration seems difficult to find in return when it comes to those living up in Maynooth and their intolerance of the difficulties we who travel face.

I can barely get out of my driveway, let alone drive an hour and a half up on dangerous back roads. I'm sitting here at home and I've already seen two car crashes in the last 24 hours just outside my estate entrance. The idea of trying to traverse the country roads which we'd usually take is a hideous one.

If I lived 5 or 10 minutes away from the college, yeah, I'd brave it. But the idea of trying to travel for the hour and a half up on those icy roads is crazy. Yet, in the minds of some selfish people, the risk of human life shouldn't affect their life styles. I'm sorry if you're living up in Maynooth and thus have easy access to the facilitates, but a large contingancy of people do commute, and you could at least pretend to care about them. And yet, it sums up the mindset of a large group of people who live up there. "I'm fine, so **** everyone else".

I don't think anyone has asked for a special pass through the exams. No one is hoping they won't have to sit the exams, period. What people want are some sort of compramises whereby the fact they would be risking their life if they tried to attend should be taken on board. They simply want reaffirment that they aren't risking their degrees because of natural causes preventing them going to the exams. Yes, there are people who would take advantage of getting etra student time, but I'd rather that than having people risk their lifes trying to get to the exams.

Congratulations if you had the foresight and the money to be up in Maynooth already, but for those of us who can't, we'd like some achknowledgement of the fact it's dangerous to get to the college. Furthermore, this isn't a one day situation we're talking of here. The roads around my area have been leathal for weeks now. I'm not lying when I say I have left the house a total of three times in the past two weeks. Things weren't amazingly dandy yesterday morning and then wham, the unprepared got caught. It's been dangerous to go out for two weeks now. It just went from bad to worse...

I'd also question the idea of "most people live up or around Maynooth". I have no facts or figures to prove otherwise. I'm just generally curious as to what percentage of the student base actually live within a five minute radius...

[/rant <_<]

I don't live in Maynooth. I also commute. Albeit from Blanchardstown and so not as far as yourself. I used to drive to college but that's out the window. So I'm getting the train. I walk 30 minutes to the station in the morning and then get the train here and then do the same on the way home in the evening

I'm not saying that I don't care about those who are commuting, I wouldn't want to see anyone get hurt, I'm saying that people who have far distances to commute should have come up with a contingency plan. You said yourself, these conditions have been around for some since before Christmas, why has it been left until just a few days before to try find a solution to getting up to Maynooth for exams when we knew these weather conditions were going to persist?

So will you be missing all your exams now?

cian1500ww

LeixlipRed wrote: »

No one suggested you're all looking for a free pass. Yet none of you concede that my points about the majority of students being fine to make the exams is valid. You have no point in that regard. You'd swear you all thought I wanted you to die on the way here or something. You can't make it safely, don't go. What's to say you can make a new date for a hypothetically postponed exam? Do we wait until all ice has left all roads (April maybe)? No, we don't. We do what is best for the majority. And that is to stick to the timetable as is.

I just wanted to know if they were cancelled or not, believe you me, all I want to do now is get these over and done with, longer delays would only prolong the anxiety :rolleyes: Just didn't want a wasted 2 hour trip.

Lord TSC

LeixlipRed wrote: »

No one suggested you're all looking for a free pass. Yet none of you concede that my points about the majority of students being fine to make the exams is valid. You have no point in that regard. You'd swear you all thought I wanted you to die on the way here or something. You can't make it safely, don't go. What's to say you can make a new date for a hypothetically postponed exam? Do we wait until all ice has left all roads (April maybe)? No, we don't. We do what is best for the majority. And that is to stick to the timetable as is.

Hey, I'll concede the majority rules thing no problem. But don't act like this is a 95-5% thing. Again, I don't have the figures, but while only a minority may commute, I'd argue it's a pretty hefty minority. The number of buses and trains and cars taken everyday shows just quite how many people have to travel in and out of the college grounds. Ultimatly, if the college have decided to make sure the majority are accounted for, then fine. That's their decision and unfortunatly, there's little we can do about that. I really don't have that big a problem with that aspect of this any more.

What irks me is the arrogance that some people are showing here. "Game set, match point"? I'm sorry, did someone "win" in this scenario? Is the fact that some people have genuine fears about the dangers of traveling an accomplishment for you? Congratulations then. If you live up or near Maynooth, well done. I guess you've "won" when it comes to the fact that you don't have to risk your own life to do exams.

As for "Maynooth is accesible by several major roads, all of which are fine as of this morning!", again, I'm not going to deny that in and around Maynooth is not fine, road wise. But I know for a fact that the larger area around me is lethal. If you live within a ten minute region of Maynooth, lucky you. But don't think you're a commuter. I'm talking about the quite significant minority who live an hour away from the college, who for the last two weeks have been advised not to leave their houses.

So will you be missing all your exams now?

No. I've asked my Dad to drive me up, and we're going to leave plenty early. It's going to be dangerous, and I'm not happy about it, but we don't have much choice. That was always the plan though. Again, this isn't a case of not having a back up plan, as much as it is that I feel worried about actually using that plan.

mp3guy

mp3guy wrote: »

Sorry guys;

https://moodle.nuim.ie/2010/

Game, Set And Match Point!

hope whoever made that decision loses their job if someone dies on the way in

Michellenman

Deleted User wrote: »

hope whoever made that decision loses their job if someone dies on the way in

Seriously?