Case 5: Overslept Exam
You’re up late studying the night of an exam that you have been studying hard for all week. The next morning you wake up and realize that your alarm never went off. You slept through the exam.
Take a deep breath—What’s done is done. There is no use freaking out about it. Instead, concentrate on ways to fix it. “It happens every year with me,” says Professor Tate. “Again, don’t panic… I’ve had students show up at the end of the exam and say, ‘I’m sorry, I just realized I missed the exam,’ and I would reschedule a time with them, or else just have them take it right then.”
Contact your professor ASAP!—“As soon as you find out what the problem is, contact the professor or someone in the class that can help you out,” Professor Tate suggests. If your TA is in charge of this stuff, you may need to contact them instead.
The professor will work with you—The professor knows how your work ethic has been and what kind of student you are. “If you’ve been responsible and conscientious all along, then if something comes up, it’s going to be a surprise to the professor, and they are going to try to help you out,” says Professor Tate. “Not all professors are going to give you a break, but most will.” If you’ve been a good student, you’ve got nothing to worry about.
