Professor fails to inform student of test rescheduling, causing student to miss the exam, student demands to choose a new date: 'I got told to reshuffle my life'

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Mar 2, 2026 5:00 PM EST

Sometimes you find yourself in a position where you simply have to accept your fate. 

When a college professor makes a mistake towards the students, it shouldn't surprise anyone that those who pay the price are, in fact, the students, even though they did nothing to deserve it. For example, every student had this one teacher who kept messing up the final exam. They would write questions that had no answers or give out the wrong instructions that would simply cause confusion across the entire classroom.

The most annoying part is that these professors always refuse to admit to their mistakes. Instead of owning up, they let the students pay the price, usually in the form of deducting points from the test or wasting precious time during the exam trying to explain the unexplainable.

The student in the story below has to deal with a similar situation. Their professor decided to change the exam date, but accidentally excluded one student from the email announcing the change, which led the student to unknowingly miss the test.

Once the student discovered that they missed their exam because they didn't get the memo, they immediately contacted the professor to see what could be done about it. This professor, for once, actually admitted to his mistake and owned up to the fact that he didn't include this student in the email. Then, the professor offered the students a few solutions to allow them to retake the test, but none of them aligned with the student's schedule.

Here is where the main conflict arose. The professor claimed that the student must choose a solution from the ones he offered, while the student claims that since they are not the ones at fault, the professor should accomodate to their schedule better. 

Regardless of the student's claims, the professor refuses to adhere to the demands and insists the student pick a solution from the ones he offered. Should the student give in, or should they fight the professor to give them what they want? Keep scrolling to read the full tale to decide.

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  • Professor Teaching a College Student
    via Yan Krukau

    Professor Teaching a College Student.

    mage is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • AITAH for refusing to rearrange my entire schedule after my professor’s mistake caused me to miss a midterm?

    I'm an honours student in my final semester with a high GPA, and I've never had an issue like this before.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • Here's what happened: My midterm was originally scheduled for a Monday. That exam didn't go ahead because of a snow day.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • Later that same day, my professor sent an email saying the midterm would be rescheduled to March 25.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • Shortly after, he sent a correction saying March 25 was a typo and that the correct date was actually February 25.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • The problem? I was not included on the correction email. So I never knew the date had changed back.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • I relied on the March 25 date that was sent to me. As a result, I missed the exam.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • To be very clear: I did not misread the date. I did not ignore instructions. I did not forget.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • I acted based on the information that was sent to me. The mistake originated from the professor's typo and the fact that I wasn't included in the correction email.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • After this came to light, he apologized and offered two options: 1. Write the midterm either Thursday or Friday) 2.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • Shift the weight to the final exam (making the final worth 45%). I told him, none of the times he provided worked with my schedule, and basically got told too bad.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • He said delaying it to fit my schedule wasn't reasonable because other students are waiting to get their grades back.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • Student Taking a Test in Classroom
    via TrueCreatives

    Student Taking a Test in Classroom.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • He confirmed with the Department Head that these options were "reasonable." The Department Head also told me that my professor had been "extremely flexible" and suggested I rearrange my other commitments to make it work within the next few days.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • Here's why I'm upset: Within the next two days, I have another midterm, deadlines, work (which I rely on financially), volunteer commitments where people depend on me, and a research meeting that has already been rescheduled multiple times.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • They are essentially asking me to rearrange my entire week on 24-48 hours' notice to accommodate an error that was not mine.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • What bothers me most is the double standard. If I had made a mistake that caused me to miss an exam, I highly doubt I would be granted multiple last-minute options and told to just reshuffle my life.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • But because the error came from the professor's end, the expectation is that I absorb the consequences.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • They justify the urgency by saying grades need to be returned to students promptly which I would understand except we still haven't received grades back from an assignment we submitted over a month ago.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • So that reasoning feels inconsistent.
    via Few-Performance4499
  • petitguelah So no one mentioned this correction email after it was sent? You were not confused as to why this midterm was a month later than all your other mid terms? The midterm date was not in your syllabus that you were given at the beginning of the semester? You didn't hear any of your classmates breathe a word in passing about the midterm? Study groups you were invited to didn't change? You aren't on any group texts for the class with other students? Maybe your college is different, but it
    via petitguelah
  • Few-Performance4499 Original Poster's Reply The midterm was supposed to be on Monday, February 23rd, that is the date that was in the syllabus. The midterm was cancelled to due weather, that same day, the professor sent out an email saying the midterm would be rescheduled for March 25th, I got this email. 20 minutes later they sent out an email addressing the mistake, saying the midterm is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th. I was not included on this email. I don't have many friends, and ma
    via Few-Performance4499
  • pairedfools Personally I'd get the dean involved. Thats not being extremely flexible. You have other commitments and your professors mistake is not your fault.
    via redfools
  • AlternativeLie9486 I understand your frustration but your cooperation here is still essential and does affect an entire class, even though none of this is your fault. Your best bet is to forgo volunteering. Yes, I get that this affects other people too, but of your choices, it has the least negative impact on the rest of your life. If you were horribly sick, you would call out. A major exam is as important. If you absolutely refuse to compromise then you are being given the option to put everyth
    via AlternativeLie9486
  • JeanSchlemaan There's no way you can't find a couple hours in the next few days. I think you're being needlessly hard on everyone, and close to acting ah'ish. It's not your fault overall tho. When would you prefer to take it?
    via JeanSchlemaan
  • Ok-Squash-3969 Re: the double standard. You are not your professors equal in the academic hierarchy. It isn't a double standard - you're the subordinate. You're NTA, but you don't have a case. You do the 'reasonable' options or you're cooked.
    via Ok-Squash-3969
  • APartyInMyPants I don't think anyone is TA. I think the professor offered reasonable options and accommodations. It's a midterm. Clearly rescheduling a midterm a month later over a snow day is a mistake. Yes, it absolutely s ks that you were left off that email. That is absolutely worth fighting. But, you're a student. Your job is to be a student. If you can't adjust your work schedule for academics, then what are you even doing? Now, if the issue is the makeup conflicts with other classes and t
    via APartyInMyPants
  • Dontmattermuchdoesit NTA but life isn't fair. You aren't going to win this one and it's a good lesson that in life you will likely have a bad boss with a similar situation. Sometimes you find the off-road instead of trying to "win" even though you know you are right. This is one of these times.
    via Dontmattermuchdoesit
  • Cute Chair_6076 Snow day? Means you already verified for mid term but got out of test for snow day. Thus you should have been ready for exam already. Sounds like you were not prepared to begin with. Using snow day as excuse. Good life lesson for you going forward. Nature cancels something be ready next day to make it up.
    via Cute Chair_6076

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