Finals: A Three-Week Marathon

The Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, completed in 1880

Exams are officially over here in Melbourne after a laborious three-week period. Unfortunately there is no finals week, but nevertheless it is over and done. As expected the exam format was slightly different from those at UMD. Everyone takes their exams in the same building: the Royal Exhibition Building, a truly hypnotizing piece of architecture completed in 1880 for the Melbourne International Exhibition.

The experience was interesting as well with hundreds of students waiting outside for the doors to open. The side of the building had bag storage where everyone would bury their bags. The administration did not allow any bags inside the building. Upon entering the massive structure my first instinct was to look up at the beautiful murals graced on the walls and ceiling. It was a very fancy dwelling. There must have been close to a few thousand students taking examinations all at once and proctors were prancing down the aisles ensuring no one cheated. Most exams last anywhere from 2-3 hours, which is a real test of endurance for your brain. I left my exams feeling completely drained, having been deprived of any energy source for a few hours.

It was a truly unique experience to take an exam in such an interesting atmosphere although I am glad to be done. I still have roughly ten days remaining in this amiable country and I will spend this term traveling up the East Coast to visit some beautiful regions. It is unreal to think I will be back in the States in less than a fortnight, I must relish every last moment I have here.