# Midterms



## star (Dec 7, 2000)

So how do you guys do it? I am trying not to take immodium as much anymore because I don't want to have to depend on it. But what do you do b/c my teachers don't allow students to leave the room ### all during exams (no bathroom breaks) and I am WAY to embarrased to tell my teachers cause most of them are guys... and are not to sympathetic... and knowing that I won't be able to leave just stresses me out more... and makes it worse... and the cycle continues...Thanks,Star


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## dima (Aug 11, 2000)

hey star,during last year's bio final i was in a lot of pain as the test was early in the morning. and i stayed up the whole night studying with coffee at hand. i stuck it out for about two and a half hours through the test. the urge eventually went away. that was the only time ever i think i had a problem, i guess that makes me very fortunate. i think it's just one of those things u can't get around. either u do it or u don't. i don't know what else to say other than good luck to all of you on your exams. i have a prob & stat test on Thurs myself. well, back to studying now...dmitry


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## zayaka26 (Jul 5, 2001)

I do not know if I can help you, but anyway... I had a professor that I hated. I was always stressed and I never wanted to go out of the classroom (even during regular class) because I was afraid he would say some stupid comment as I was leaving for the bathroom. The days when I was not feeling well, I did not attend. I remember one particular time I had very bad pain and felt the D coming; somehow I managed to stay until the end. Nowadays I think of that classroom and it makes me very sad to think all that I went through with that guy and the worst part is that I could have avoided all that extra stress if I would have talked to him. Now I know that he would have understand and that I was creating a problem where there was no problem.Now, for my tests I do not take meds. If I have to go, I just do it. But, if I have a though prof, I talk to him/her (you do not have to be extra explicit). So far I have not had any problems and I have not had to leave the classroom because I am relaxed and into what I am doing, not into my bowels.Remeber that professors ask for everybody not go out in order to keep the control, specially during a test (I once left a final Biology test, said I needed to vomit and there was no problem at all with anybody).







Good luck and be calmed!


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## star (Dec 7, 2000)

Thanks for the responses. zayaka26, I know that I should talk to my profs but I just can't bring myself to do it. Do you show them a doctors note? I think the reason why I am so stressed is one of my profs is a big jerk and during a midterm last year he would not let a girl leave to go to the bathroom no matter how much she begged him, he told her if she left he would give her 0. (lucky me I have him again for a course this semester) So that probably accounts for me being so stressed out. Plus I am sure that I would get an awful reaction if I went to talk to him... it would be the last thing I would want to do!Thanks, Star


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## lindsay* (Jul 23, 2000)

star.. you might want to contact your student ombudsperson to offer you advice or speak on your behalf. their job is to act as a mediator between students and profs. if your prof is really being a jerk it might help to have someone higher up speak on your behalf.


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2001)

My advice would be this: who cares. Hope everything goes well, but if problems arise, get up and leave. Just accept the fact that it may come to that and don't worry about what the prof. thinks. Act first and think later. At the very worst just finish the test and explain afterwards. And if he won't listen?? A doctor's note -- and if this professor won't accept a doctor's note or your explanation, transfer schools because that is insane!!! Granted, my solution adds to the problem by avoiding the initial embarassment of alerting your professor to your IBS... but hey whatever cuts down on stress...


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## zayaka26 (Jul 5, 2001)

A doctor's note is a good idea. I am with Lindsay. It is incredible how some people dare to call themselves professors, or even worse... teachers. Perhaps you could take some Immodium just for this particular midterm.Good luck


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## Serendipity (Oct 14, 2001)

That irritates me to hear that he would deny people the right to use the restroom. Does he want his students to wet themselves???The advice about getting a doctor's note and finding someone to speak on your behalf was great. I'd complain about this Professor, he can't give anyone a 0 because they need to use the restroom. ------------------Isn't it enough to see that a Garden is beautiful without having to see fairies in the bottom of it, too?


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## slammjamminlammy (Sep 10, 2001)

hey,do you have a dean of Women? we do at my school, and if you have one, she would definitely be the person to talk to. That way, you could just tell one person (and not a guy at that) and she could arrange something with your profs. At least around here, that's pretty much her job, so she should be good at handling this sort of thing well.Good luckS


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## kinetic (Oct 19, 2001)

I think i mentioned this in another conversation thread, but i'll say it again here cuz well i feel like it







what I always found to work well for school is to talk to all my professors right away at the beginning of the term and just let them know of potential problems of missing class, having to leave class suddenly, etc. and I never had any problems with teachers being jerks about it when i did it that way... if you have problems with talking about it, then I'd suggest perhaps getting a note from your doctor, and typing up one of your own, and giving copies of both to each of your professors at the beginning of the term... by keeping your professors informed they're much less likely to get upset with you when problems arise later on during the term, and i even had quite a few teachers who almost bent over backwards to help me out... whether by allowing me to make up tests or giving me help during their office hours on what i'd missed when i'd been unable to attend class...granted not all teachers will be the same, and some may still be jerks about it, but at least then if they are, you have a good case to complain to the school regarding their treatment of you.anyway, good luck!


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## Guest (Oct 29, 2001)

hey star-man, i wish i had a dean of women! that would be so nice. i've never heard of that before. but it's a tough call, i like the suggestion of writing letters/ approaching profs at the start of the semester, but i too have been too embarassed to do it. what i have done if i'm having a bad spell at the time of an exam is tell the prof, like the class before the exam, that i'm sick or haven't been feeling well. and that i should be ok, but if i go running out of class, that's why. it's good cause it's kinda vague, and the couple times i've told them that, they were just like 'ok, no problem'. i don't use meds, so i know exams can be scary. if i'm actually sick, i'll go late once the d mostly passes rather than trying to go on time and risking catastrophe. usually you just get a dirty look for being late, but it's no real problem. for the most part, i've been ok though. i've made it through exams at my worst, i just go and if i'm feeling bad, i write as fast as i can. then if i'm still holding out once i finish, i go back through the exam and add stuff--then at least i know that i have answers down if i do have to leave and the prof takes my exam.anyway, good luck and think positive!midge.


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