The Trials and Tribulations of Finding A Proctor

It’s finals season for Harvard.

Examinations for Harvard Extension run through Jan. 8–10 and Jan. 14–19. When everyone else is enjoying the holiday season, HES students are worrying about finals.

One of the tough parts about being a distance student is that you have to find your own proctors. I have been using a guidance counselor that is attached to the adult education section of the public school system where I live but I recently found out that one of my finals is scheduled for a Saturday. I’m pretty sure she’s not going to be available which means I have to find someone else who can be a proctor.

I’m pretty sure that I can line up a proctor for the exam. If I don’t, it means I’m going to have to travel up to Boston to sit for it. That would be expensive but do-able. The biggest concern is the time and hassle of traveling. Final exams are stressful enough without having to add travel stress on top of it. Travel for me means flying which is no picnic these days. Even though it’s only a one-hour flight, the time and effort of getting to the airport can really put you into a sour mood.

I had to do this one time before when it turned out that I was going to have to work in the Boston area during the time when my exam was scheduled. Since I live in the DC area, if I can find a proctor I don’t have to visit campus to take tests. If I lived in the 6-state area called New England, attendance in-person is mandatory.

All things being equal, I prefer using a proctor. It’s less stress on me. I make an appointment for the exam and I have the room all to myself.

I’ll let you know how the weekend exam goes.