caught in the line of fire

Politics get in the way of everything.

and now its in the way of my exams. -.-"

basically the AUT(Association of University teachers) are disputing their pay.

for us students this whole issue started as a free day off as:
"...on March the 7th lecturers, researchers and academic related staff throughout the UK had a day of strike action."
so no classes :)

yippee! for us right? yea, sure. until it bites you right smack in the tush.
"This was followed by an assessment boycott, which began on March 8th and is to continue until the dispute is resolved. "

AUT members have been advised to boycott:
1. Setting examination questions
2. Setting examination papers
3. Nominating external examiners
4. Dealing with examination administration
5. Marking all final assessments (so final degrees and Masters and doctoral and research vivas)
6. Invigilating any examination
7. Attending examination and progression boards.”

So now, although i have an exam timetable (my "supposed" last paper is on the 24th of may) our exam papers have not been prepared and more likely than not- if this situation continues- we wont have any exams during the exam period set and rather it will be pushed BACK to the end of june. RIGHT. and what happens to my return flight sceduled for the 10th of june?
do i cancel? or do i take my chances and hope the situation clears up VERY SOON? in any case, there is a chance i might be penalised for cancelling my current booking(i havent checked it out yet)

lucky me, i bear credentials that places me on the losing end of this whole fiasco. I'm a 1st year INTERNATIONAL student. firstly, 1st years are at the bottom rung of the university pecking order and the year 3 and 2's are given more priority which is why their papers have already been set. 2ndly im not a local, so its not a matter of my parents driving me back here when the university is done with setting the exam questions. i need to fly over, and the last time i checked, flights arent exactly cheap.

wow! what a flying start to my bachelor's degree.

excuse my sarcasm.

maybe im biased seeing as its my academic future their putting on the line here(yea i know, i cringe at this sentence as well. haha). but somehow i feel its all quite childish coming from a group of respected people armed with doctorates and anything academically brag-worthy.

ok, ok im being over-dramatic. granted. but, isnt drama the only way of getting a point across? like say, a boycott? heh.

sigh.
my parents didnt break their backs to pay my tuition just for you to muck it up.

you refers to the university big-wigs who refuse to budge on the pay claim.

words in green are excerpts taken from here