As students come back from Thanksgiving break, there is yet another thing to be thankful for this year: the three-day reading period before finals. Although this interval is typical, next fall there is only one "study day" scheduled between the end of classes and the beginning of exams. Considering the inadequacy of this brief period, the University should give its students a more realistic amount of time to prepare an entire semester's worth of material.
The University usually grants students at least three days to study for exams and write term papers before finals officially begin, but next fall's schedule nearly eliminates this study period. In doing so, it allows most students barely five hours to review for each of their finals, assuming they don't sleep during the study day. In addition, exams will not conclude until Wednesday, Dec. 23, forcing students to journey home for the holidays during one of the year's busiest and most expensive travel times. The fall semester typically begins the day after Labor Day, so the examination period's late end is likely a result of the late Labor Day next year.
To give students ample time to prepare for their exams, the University should start the semester earlier in the year. Classes in the spring semester still have a three-day reading period, so students who take identical courses in the fall should be given the same amount of time to study. Even administrators at Harvard University—where classes normally begin in late September—have chosen to start their fall semester before Labor Day next year in an attempt to reduce scheduling difficulties. The University of Pennsylvania has likewise adjusted its schedule in order to retain its customary reading period. Furthermore, beginning school on Monday, Aug. 31, would maintain the current ratio of 27 Monday-Wednesday to 26 Tuesday-Thursday classes. Such a system would also allow the University to even out this ratio by canceling classes the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, as the Editorial Board suggested on Nov. 21. While it may be too late to change next year's already determined schedule, the administration should still address the problem for next fall and discuss how to rectify it in future years.
The University should understand that allocating a single day to prepare for exams and draft papers is not sufficient. As it stands, the Fall 2009 academic calendar benefits neither students nor calendar equity. The University must consider alternatives before it is too late to address this issue.
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