Junior Year - Check!

My flight from New Zealand landed just in time for me to wait in an almost 2 hour long Customs and Immigration line, grab a bite to eat, and complete my last exam of junior year!

Exams in Australia are a little more official. In addition to stretching the finals period over three weeks, almost 3000 people take their exams all in one venue, at the Royal Exhibition Building (the equivalent of our Convention Centers, I think). The Royal Exhibition Building is about 1 km off campus, in the Carlton Gardens, next to the Melbourne Museum.

A mad dash as the doors open. As if I need more reason to stress right before my exam.

Also, seats are assigned (I found out the hard way). Luckily, my seat for my second exam was right near the entrance (#1118) so I didn't have to go hunting for it.

This is only about 1/8th of the seats in the entire building.

A few other interesting rules:

• 15 minute reading period. You're not allowed to write anything.
• Nothing allowed in the room besides writing utensils (in clear ziploc bags) and clear water bottles. There are giant storage boxes outside for people to put their bags. Preventing cheating, maybe, but really it just adds to the bareness of the entire building.
• No one is allowed to leave in the last fifteen minutes of the exam, but you can leave before that.

A little intimidating, and very freezing, but it's a lot prettier than taking an exam in your classroom or the gym. Exams are still exams, and I'm glad they're over for another six months. Senior year, here I come!