2008 Woodie Awards
Students deserve more dead days before exams
Staff Editorial
Issue date: 11/12/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
MIDTERMS AND FINAL exams are the two toughest times for most students. It's during these times that students have to prepare for multiple tests, and many have to make up for a semester's worth of procrastination. As final exams approach quickly, the pressure is on.
Unfortunately, USA has one of the least student-friendly academic calendars among several Alabama colleges. We get only one "dead day" between the end of classes (Dec. 4) and the beginning of final exams (Dec. 6).
Springhill College's final exam schedule is set up so that students have a weekend to study before exams begin. Additionally, students at Springhill, and also at the University of Alabama, enjoy a four-day weekend known as "fall break" to help prepare for midterm exams.
The University of Mobile and Troy University cancel classes for an entire week during October. These "semester study breaks" are essential for students to not only prepare for midterms, but also to refresh their minds for the last half of the semester.
The University could easily modify future academic calendars so that students have at least two or three days between the end of classes and finals. One "dead day" is not enough to adequately prepare.
This semester, classes end on a Tuesday, and exams begin on Thursday. It is difficult to understand why the University did not push exams back until the following Monday and give us two, if not three or four, days to hit the books. Scheduling midterms and finals on Mondays would be an improvement from our current academic calendar. The University of South Alabama should follow the examples of other schools within the state by creating an academic calendar that caters more to the students, especially during high-stress times such as finals.
It is very likely that students would be willing to extend the semester or even start a few days early if it meant that we could have a "fall break" or more than one "dead day" before finals. Midterms and finals are the two most critical and stressful times during each semester. Canceling classes a few days prior to exams would not only take some pressure off of us, but it could very well lead to higher average scores on midterm and final exams.
Unfortunately, USA has one of the least student-friendly academic calendars among several Alabama colleges. We get only one "dead day" between the end of classes (Dec. 4) and the beginning of final exams (Dec. 6).
Springhill College's final exam schedule is set up so that students have a weekend to study before exams begin. Additionally, students at Springhill, and also at the University of Alabama, enjoy a four-day weekend known as "fall break" to help prepare for midterm exams.
The University of Mobile and Troy University cancel classes for an entire week during October. These "semester study breaks" are essential for students to not only prepare for midterms, but also to refresh their minds for the last half of the semester.
The University could easily modify future academic calendars so that students have at least two or three days between the end of classes and finals. One "dead day" is not enough to adequately prepare.
This semester, classes end on a Tuesday, and exams begin on Thursday. It is difficult to understand why the University did not push exams back until the following Monday and give us two, if not three or four, days to hit the books. Scheduling midterms and finals on Mondays would be an improvement from our current academic calendar. The University of South Alabama should follow the examples of other schools within the state by creating an academic calendar that caters more to the students, especially during high-stress times such as finals.
It is very likely that students would be willing to extend the semester or even start a few days early if it meant that we could have a "fall break" or more than one "dead day" before finals. Midterms and finals are the two most critical and stressful times during each semester. Canceling classes a few days prior to exams would not only take some pressure off of us, but it could very well lead to higher average scores on midterm and final exams.
Be the first to comment on this story