Taking exams, especially finals, is difficult as it is, but imagine taking them on an empty stomach. For students observing the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, that could become a reality this semester.

Over the weekend, economics professor Jadrian Wooten pointed this out when he posted a tweet as both a reminder and a question to his peers. The tweet was asking fellow professors how they would accommodate students who will be fasting for Ramadan this spring because many colleges’ final exams will be taking place during the time frame.

Ramadan this year falls between April 23 and May 23, which means it may very well coincide with your final exam.

Now that you know the dates, how do you plan to help your students who may be fasting? I will offer an alternative time to students so that they can eat before. pic.twitter.com/NGSnGMKgUZ

— Jadrian Wooten (@Wootenomics) January 18, 2020

The tweet spread quickly, gaining attention for something that Wooten says was “just being accommodating.” He didn’t expect the question to have such an impact around the world, but it quickly received more than 2,000 retweets and 8,000 likes.

Ramadan is a month of fasting and prayer. During this time, Muslims fast from sunrise to sundown, only being allowed to eat during the short window between night and early morning. This year, it falls right on when students around the country will be finishing up their semesters and taking finals.

The aim of Wooten’s tweet was to gain insight on ways he could support students, either by providing more comfortable test times or by potentially preventing other students from eating in class in order to help make fasting easier for his Muslim students.

“I don’t fast, so I don’t know,” he said of the best practices, addressing that the tweet was just a genuine question in an effort to help his students.

Wooten received more than one hundred replies. And after reading through each and every one of them, he believed that his students should be able to take his final exam according to their own preference.

Given that Wooten proctors his own exams, he plans to be flexible with student needs by being in his office when the building opens, so students can take their exams as early as possible.

“My heart is full of joy knowing that there are other students that are going to benefit from this tweet,” he said. “Faculty are now aware and want to help, they just didn’t know [when Ramadan was]. All you have to do is ask.

“The sharing of it is the coolest thing…it’s been quote tweeted in French and other different languages. “There are students who are going to get help that didn’t know they could ask, and that’s the coolest thing.”