University Exam Superstitions from Across the Globe
Universities often carry intriguing superstitions that interweave with academic life, providing an interesting, albeit sometimes bizarre, backdrop to the stressful exam seasons. Here's a merging of unique college traditions from around the globe that claim to influence students' exam outcomes, according to Times Higher Education.
Universities with notable exam superstitions
Across the world's universities, diverse exam superstitions and traditions have been passed down through generations, promising exam success, although none substitute hard work and good study habits.
UK Universities
At Royal Holloway, University of London, students encounter a peculiar superstition involving a painting by Edwin Landseer named "Man Proposes, God Disposes," depicting two polar bears in shipwreck wreckage. Rumor has it that a student once went mad staring at it and scribbled 'the polar bears made me do it' on their exam paper. Consequently, each exam season, the painting is draped with a flag to ward off its supposed ill effects.
Similarly, University of Birmingham students avoid passing under the Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower, or "Old Joe," when it chimes, believing it would cause them to fail their degree. Only after graduation do they walk under it confidently.
US Universities
Columbia University houses the Alma Mater statue of the goddess Minerva. Within her robe folds lies a hidden owl. Legend states that finding the owl guarantees straight A’s and potentially becoming valedictorian.
At Yale University, Elihu Yale's bronze statue is more than just a tribute. Rubbing Yale's toe during exam seasons is believed to bestow good luck for exams on the students.
The massive Van Wickle Gates at Brown University is open only twice a year: to welcome first-years during Convocation and to bid farewell to graduates at Commencement. Any additional pass-throughs between these events are thought to curse students with eternal bad luck.
Additional Superstitions Across Selected US Universities
UC Berkeley has a mystical 4.0 Ball in front of its Campanile, where students rub the stone ball for good luck before exams. Similarly, UT Austin students seek the sight of albino squirrels, believed to ensure A-grades on upcoming tests.
Bryn Mawr College students trust Athena's sculpture with their exam fates, adorning it with gifts hoping to earn favor and success during final exams.
Murray State University encourages couples to nail their shoes to a targeted tree to allegedly seal a lifelong love, a tradition stretching back to the 1960s.
Lastly, at the University of Central Florida, avoiding stepping on the Pegasus Seal in the Student Union is critical; legend states this misstep could prevent one from graduating unless it’s post-graduation.
Universities in Europe
Superstition at Trinity College Dublin warns students not to walk under the Campanile bell tower while it tolls, as it would guarantee exam failure. Graduates, free from academic obligations, brave the walk beneath it with ease.
The University of St Andrews has its PH Stone story in St Salvador's Quadrangle, where stepping on the cobblestones haunted by Patrick Hamilton's spirit could cause you to fail your exams. The only remedy for this misstep is an icy dip in St Andrews Bay.
Earlier, SSP told why we knock on wood for luck.
