diff --git a/assignments/1_io_library/stud/termcolor.pyc b/assignments/1_io_library/stud/termcolor_py2.pyc
similarity index 100%
rename from assignments/1_io_library/stud/termcolor.pyc
rename to assignments/1_io_library/stud/termcolor_py2.pyc
diff --git a/assignments/1_io_library/stud/test.py b/assignments/1_io_library/stud/test.py
index 793760b..87ad402 100755
--- a/assignments/1_io_library/stud/test.py
+++ b/assignments/1_io_library/stud/test.py
@@ -1,12 +1,26 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python
 
+from __future__ import print_function, division
+try:
+    bytes('foo', 'utf-8')
+except:
+    u8_bytes = lambda a: a
+    u8_str = lambda a: a
+else:
+    u8_bytes = lambda a: bytes(a, 'utf-8')
+    u8_str = lambda a: str(a, 'utf-8')
+
 import os
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import re
 import sys
 from subprocess import CalledProcessError, Popen, PIPE
-from termcolor import colored
+
+try:
+    from termcolor import colored
+except ImportError:
+    from termcolor_py2 import colored
 
 #-------helpers---------------
 
@@ -45,10 +59,10 @@ def compile( fname, text ):
     f.close()
 
     if subprocess.call( ['nasm', '-f', 'elf64', fname + '.asm', '-o', fname+'.o'] ) == 0 and subprocess.call( ['ld', '-o' , fname, fname+'.o'] ) == 0:
-             print ' ', fname, ': compiled'
+             print(' ', fname, ': compiled')
              return True
     else: 
-        print ' ', fname, ': failed to compile'
+        print(' ', fname, ': failed to compile')
         return False
 
 
@@ -56,12 +70,12 @@ def launch( fname, seed = '' ):
     output = ''
     try:
         p = Popen(['./'+fname], shell=None, stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE)
-        (output, err) = p.communicate(input=seed)
-        return (output, p.returncode)
+        (output, err) = p.communicate(input=u8_bytes(seed))
+        return (u8_str(output), p.returncode)
     except CalledProcessError as exc:
         return (exc.output, exc.returncode)
     else:
-        return (output, 0)
+        return (u8_str(output), 0)
 
 
 
@@ -88,7 +102,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
         if res is None:
             return False
         (output, code) = res
-        print '"', arg,'" ->',  res
+        print('"', arg,'" ->',  res)
         return self.checker( arg, output, code )
 
 before_call="""
@@ -276,7 +290,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
         mov rax, 60
         xor rdi, rdi
         syscall""", 
-        lambda i, o, r: first_or_empty(i) == o),
+        lambda i, o, r: i == o),
 
         Test('read_word_length',
              lambda v:"""
@@ -295,7 +309,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
         mov rax, 60
         mov rdi, rdx
         syscall""", 
-        lambda i, o, r: len(first_or_empty(i)) == r or len(first_or_empty(i)) > 19),
+        lambda i, o, r: len(i) == r or len(i) > 19),
 
         Test('read_word_too_long',
              lambda v:"""
@@ -314,7 +328,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
         mov rdi, rax
         mov rax, 60
         syscall""", 
-        lambda i, o, r: ( (not len(first_or_empty(i)) > 19) and r != 0 ) or  r == 0 ),
+        lambda i, o, r: ( (not len(i) > 19) and r != 0 ) or  r == 0 ),
 
         Test('parse_uint',
              lambda v: """section .data
@@ -396,7 +410,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
             err_too_long_msg: db "string is too long", 10, 0
             section .data
         arg1: db '""" + v + """', 0
-        arg2: times """ + str(len(v)/2)  +  """ db  66
+        arg2: times """ + str(len(v)//2)  +  """ db  66
         section .text
         %include "lib.inc"
         global _start 
@@ -404,7 +418,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
         """ + before_call + """
         mov rdi, arg1
         mov rsi, arg2
-        mov rdx, """ + str(len(v)/2 ) + """
+        mov rdx, """ + str(len(v)//2) + """
         call string_copy
         test rax, rax
         jnz .good
@@ -440,7 +454,7 @@ def perform(self, arg):
          'read_char'            
          : ['-1', '-1234asdasd5234121', '', '   ', '\t   ', 'hey ya ye ya', 'hello world' ],
          'read_word'            
-         : ['-1'], # , '-1234asdasd5234121', '', '   ', '\t   ', 'hey ya ye ya', 'hello world' ],
+         : ['-1', '-1234asdasd5234121', '', '   ', '\t   ', 'hey ya ye ya', 'hello world' ],
          'read_word_length'     
          : ['-1', '-1234asdasd5234121', '', '   ', '\t   ', 'hey ya ye ya', 'hello world' ],
          'read_word_too_long'     
@@ -461,17 +475,17 @@ def perform(self, arg):
         for arg in inputs[t.name]:
             if not found_error:
                 try:
-                    print '          testing', t.name,'on "'+ arg +'"'
+                    print('          testing', t.name,'on "'+ arg +'"')
                     res = t.perform(arg)
                     if res: 
-                        print '  [', colored('  ok  ', 'green'), ']'
+                        print('  [', colored('  ok  ', 'green'), ']')
                     else:
-                        print '* [ ', colored('fail', 'red'),  ']'
+                        print('* [ ', colored('fail', 'red'),  ']')
                         found_error = True
-                except:
-                    print '* [ ', colored('fail', 'red'),  '] with exception' , sys.exc_info()[0]
+                except KeyError:
+                    print('* [ ', colored('fail', 'red'),  '] with exception' , sys.exc_info()[0])
                     found_error = True
     if found_error:
-        print 'Not all tests have been passed'
+        print('Not all tests have been passed')
     else:
-        print colored( "Good work, all tests are passed", 'green')
+        print(colored( "Good work, all tests are passed", 'green'))