For a long time I believed it was a joke. An Open University exam to be held at Southampton football ground? Really?
It took me 50 minutes to drive down to the stadium and find my way to the first floor suite where the exam was to be held. To my surprise the room was enormous, with space for 16 rows of miniature writing desks leading back to the picture window. All this was initially hidden by screens so that when you walked in you saw red carpeting with upholstered chairs laid out like a departure lounge and maybe fifty slumped people each looking at the floor, as if informed of a death in the family.
I joined them.
We were wheeled to our places at 2.15 p.m. to unpack our pens and instruments and fill in the various slips. At 2.30 I picked up the SM358 question paper and began to review this year's questions on quantum mechanics. I thought it was a pretty fair paper, with little tricksiness.
It's amazing how fast three hours can go when you have a very great deal to do. And as far as I could ascertain, no-one put their hand up and asked to go to the toilet, no doubt a source of vast concern before the three hour exam got underway.
Results due on December 18th.
Update December 16th: I'm pleased to say I received a distinction.
