A final verdict on finals: The pros and cons of study days
For this forthcoming series of finals concluding the fall 2016 semester, our academic calendar prescribes Study Days as Dec. 10 and 11. In the spring semester, Performance Day is scheduled for Friday, May 5 and Study Days are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, May 6 and 7. While other colleges and universities have the luxury of what are known as “study weeks,” Muhlenberg allocates a weekend for students to study before the multitude of exams, final projects, presentations and papers.
Concluding a long semester with- out the addition of an extra five to seven days to study for the very last assignments is truly both a blessing and a curse. Each additional day spent at school is one day less spent at home in the company of friends and family before the holiday sea- son. Following a work-filled, tough semester, it feels as if the sooner I am home, the happier I am. It allows time to detach myself from the rigid schedule of school and escape everything I am so deeply wrapped in during the final weeks of the semester and, as clichéd as it sounds, enjoy the holiday spirit. It is a time for me where my duty is to not be a student—it is a true winter break. The sooner I attain this break, the more I can assimilated into my non-school life and the more I enjoy the holidays with my friends and family.
There are certain things which would not be possible to enjoy if we did have a study week that extended the duration of time we spent at Muhlenberg. Imagine instead of classes ending next Friday, we were at Muhlenberg until the following week. Many events essential to preparing for the holiday events would be altogether missed—whether it is shopping for gifts, decorating a tree or baking cookies.
Conversely, I admit instances of jealously where I do sometimes wish students at Muhlenberg were given the extra time to study during the week.
It goes without saying, Muhlenberg is a tough school. Furthermore, in my experience as a student here, all of my finals here have been significantly weighted and contribute immensely to my grades, typically ranging from 20-30 percent. A study week would mean more than just two days during the weekend to effectively prepare for exams. How- ever, not every single student would need study days due to the variety of final assignments ranging from projects to papers to exams. There is a potential for students to not use this time effectively for studying at all.
Another counter argument to additional study days is inherent in the ideas of final exams themselves. The majority of finals tend to be cumulative, with an emphasis on any additional material learned throughout the semester.
Therefore, if a student has been reviewing and appropriately preparing for previous assignments, it should not be a herculean task to review material that has already been learned. In theory, the student should only have to learn the new material not previously covered on exams. Unfortunately, my brain is not a sponge and I find myself always having to review material I have previously been assessed on. I do still spend the majority of time on new material, which can effectively be covered during the study days.
There are very real benefits to preparing effectively and efficiently during the weekend Study Days to finish off the semester strongly and quickly. It is time to buckle down, dig deep, and put in our last and best efforts to be able to enjoy the entirety of the holiday season with friends and family. While sometimes it is easy to be envious of other classmates at other institutions, there are definite positives about finishing up as early as we do.