SWOTTING STUDENTS at St Andrews University are petitioning the institution for fewer holidays.
The undergraduates want a change in the academic calendar that would see study time extended by a week.
The new timetable agreed by the Academic Council in November 2010 moved exams from early January to December.
But a petition set up by student association chairman Emmanuel Michelakakis calling for the reinstatement of ‘reading week’ has attracted more than 700 signatures.
It claims that stressed-out students are struggling to meet tight deadlines since the semester was shortened.
The petition states: “There is an objection to the unusually dense concentration of deadlines and internal assessments which have resulted in a much more stressful learning experience with less opportunity for critical reflection on course content and increased anxiety in the student body.”
Emmanuel Michelakakis said: “This petition seeks to illustrate the extent of student dissatisfaction with the way semester change has affected them to the Students’ Representative Council and also to encourage the university to make resolving the problems a priority. We’re realistic about how much we can achieve in the short-term.”