Student convinced tutors to give her an exam extension… after SPINNING on her chair 

A red-faced student managed to persuade teachers to give her exam extension because she “made herself dizzy by TWISTING in her chair” while revising — and even submitted footage of her antics as “evidence.”

Zonera Williams, a student at the University of Bradford, studied diligently for her exams in the library on the morning of her exam, learning important information that spun repeatedly in her chair.

The clinical science student believed the repetitive twisting motion helped her while studying and filmed herself to improve her focus.

But after five minutes of continuous running, the 21-year-old claims she suddenly felt ‘very sick’ and collapsed to the floor – which resulted in an ambulance being called.

The third-year student was rushed to Bradford Royal Infirmary an hour after her dizziness first started and was checked by doctors who said she had given herself acute vertigo from spinning the chair.

Despite being released from the hospital the same day, Zonera missed her exam and admits this made her “very scared”.

Red-faced Zonera submitted video footage of her spinning on the chair, along with a doctor’s note, to the university as an “evidence” extension request.

To her surprise, the university accepted the explanation and she has to take the exam in the coming months – though she admits she’s not sure how they’d feel if it went viral.

The sheepish student, who shared her story on TikTok on May 6, has vowed never to turn on a chair again when she goes back to college.

Zonera, from Bradford, West Yorkshire, said: ‘I had to send the video to my university. I also included a doctor’s note, as I didn’t think the video was enough.

“I think they genuinely appreciated it. They appreciated that there was evidence – the more evidence the better with uni.

‘I don’t think they really cared, but I was very embarrassed, because I know my teachers.

“But I was very scared of my exam and afraid of missing it, so I just wanted to provide as much evidence as possible.

“I submitted the proof before making the TikTok. I don’t know how they [my lecturers] would feel if they knew it was going viral.

‘I can take the exam again. I was just surprised they accepted it because I thought it wasn’t that serious.’

The stunned student had no idea that dizziness could be caused by spinning around in chairs.

Zonera said, “I twirl on chairs as a stimulant [stimulation]but i don’t think i do [usually] do it quick.

“It was all so sudden. One minute I was studying and the next minute I was just lying on the floor.

“I read the words while I was spinning, and I got more and more dizzy as I went on. Towards the end I felt very sick, very nauseous.’

She explained that security guards on the scene came to check on her afterwards, but the nausea wouldn’t go away, so an ambulance was called.

Zonera said, “I think the dizziness and the stress have come together. I had an exam coming up, and that’s just the worst.

“They called an ambulance because I was in very bad shape. I didn’t react well, I wasn’t in my senses.

“I don’t get sick that often, so I just couldn’t handle the physical side. It was a sickening stomach feeling and my head was just pounding.

“It felt like I was on a boat. The room was spinning and emotionally I was extremely stressed. I just wanted to cry.

“Everything was spinning, I couldn’t even text anyone. I had to go into survival mode for a while.

“When I was in the ambulance, they tried to update me. I felt a lot safer being with someone and after a while I started to feel better.’

Since the incident happened on Jan. 4, she says she now tests every chair she sits on to make sure it doesn’t spin.

Zonera said, ‘It’s not the first time I’ve been spinning in a chair while studying, but I was very stressed, I was going really fast.

“When they confirmed it was acute vertigo, I was like ‘wow, I didn’t know I could experience that.’

“I thought it was only something you could get at sea and on transport—not from the library.

“I felt really hopeless because I’ve never had that before and I didn’t know dizziness could be so bad.

“I literally test every chair I sit on right now. I’m like ‘okay, I’m not spinning’.

‘The experience of it, the imbalance you feel and the seasickness, it doesn’t go away for long.

“Experience makes me want to stay away from spiders on chairs in general.

“I felt really bad, and I wouldn’t advise students to turn on chairs.”

A spokesperson for the University of Bradford said: ‘While we cannot disclose the individual circumstances of students, student wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do at the University of Bradford and we aim to help students in every way we can. ‘

Zonera shared her story on TikTok earlier this month, where it garnered more than 70,000 likes, comments, and shares.

Users were quick to joke in the comments, while others were baffled by the sequence of events.

One of them wrote, “Can’t you just turn the other way?”

Another user said, “Why are you squirming in your chair like that?”

A third added, “Wouldn’t a doctor’s note be enough evidence?”

A fourth shocked user said, “Lmao what’s wrong with you?”

However, others who had experienced vertigo reiterated how serious it can be.

One commented, “Vertigo is actually horrible, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

A second said, ‘Why would you do this? I get dizzy all the time and wish it was gone forever.”