The Grand Ayatollah Sistani answered a question about fasting and education.
Question: Can a person who has an important exam, not to fast so that he/she is able to take the exam well?
The Grand Ayatollah Sistani: Continuing education is not an acceptable excuse for not fasting but supposedly if abandoning education will cause difficulties to a level that it cannot be tolerated and it is not possible to fast and to carry on with education, can have the intention of fasting and in the case of desperation, eat and drink to the necessary amount but not to become full by eating and drinking, and later on fast for the lost days and there is no Kaffarah on that person. Of course before the noon Salaat, the person can travel for 22 kilometers exiting the town and then eat there because the person is a traveller and the fast for that day is void and must only fast another time (for lost days).
source : Shafaqna
