Finals week is coming again. Yes, it is stressful and torturous. There are many methods that the College could adopt to take care of its students and alleviate their stress levels. However, it is clearly a no-brainer that adding an extra week of studying and procrastinating would be no help.
When we think about finals, we conjure up images of all-nighters, stressful cramming and countless cups of coffee. Nonetheless, this is not what finals aim for.
The best way to prepare for finals is to not prepare at all. When we think about finals, we conjure up images of all-nighters, stressful cramming and countless cups of coffee. Nonetheless, this is not what finals aim for. Finals are designed to test knowledge learned throughout the whole semester. The exam system is meant to cultivate students’ memory of material gained while learning. Preparing for finals shouldn’t be as stressful if you follow a constant study routine. The exam system prepares students for the job market by allowing them to practice finishing a challenging task in a limited time. This skill applies seamlessly to your future career no matter what you do. Adding one more week of reading would help students with nothing but teaching them procrastination, which is neither beneficial now or in the job market.
Who wouldn’t spend more time in bed with Netflix when given one more week with no class and no homework?
A week without classes means a week without obligations. I have heard from many of my friends who go to colleges with reading weeks that few of them see this as a chance for a bit of rest, recuperation and studying. Instead, most of them spent this week traveling, going home or simply procrastinating. Do not fool yourself — deadlines are the key to productivity. Extending the deadline by one week achieves nothing. Who wouldn’t spend more time in bed with Netflix when given one more week with no class and no homework?
One more week of studying would only drive more people to the brink of emotional collapse.
Furthermore, it is better to suffer short-term pain rather than long-term torture. We all know it is most stressful just before finals week; why ask for an extra week’s pain? Our college is notorious for a competitive environment and high stress level. One more week of studying would only drive more people to the brink of emotional collapse.
Our professors never tire of adding more materials to their already dense syllabi. Extending the semester for one more week would only encourage them to assign extra work to the students. Currently, professors understand our limited preparation time and tend to accommodate us by either making finals not cumulative or shortening the length. If we add an extra week for studying, professors would take this opportunity to make exams harder.
All in all, who would want an extra week of school when you can have one more week of summer?
Email Alfred Ouyang at souyang@email.wm.edu.