If you’re planning to rely on your watch this exam season, testing times lie ahead. A number of universities have banned timepieces, fearing new smartwatches could enable students to access forbidden materials. And with exam season just around the corner, some students are less than happy.
Eleanor Bley Griffiths, an MA magazine journalism student at City University, has been told not to wear her watch during exams. She says she depends on it to pace herself and to make sure she doesn’t run out of time.
“During exams, I have a habit of glancing at my watch every few minutes to make sure I’m writing at a good rate. Now I’m annoyed that I have to keep short-sightedly squinting at the clock at the front or put my glasses on,
breaking my concentration,” she says. Several universities have recently revised their watch policy. Students at City University in London are now banned from wearing any kind of wristwatch in exams, those at Southampton must place all watches in a clear plastic bag on the desk, while at Goldsmiths watches have to be stored under desks.
