Shot in the Dark: Why Must We Endure a Month of Midterms?

Have you ever wondered why “midterms” seem to last a third of the semester? The extended time period in which students take their midterm examinations is a source of complaints for students every year. Some question why there is a midterms week when people take their first midterm in early October and their last in November, as is often the case for premedical students in classes that have three “midterms” a semester.

The answer is rather disappointing: according to John Carter, registrar at the Department of Student Services, there actually is no such thing as an official midterms week at Columbia. There is, however, a midterm date, which the Registrar’s Office chooses by picking, literally, the midpoint of the semester.

Carter described the midterm date as “providing a reference point for everyone around which to think about centering an exam if one was required or planned.” One place where this reference point is respected is the Core Department, according to core lecturer Shayne Legassie, where teachers are encouraged to schedule midterms a week around that date as a “guideline”.

Still, when asked about a “midterms week”, many showed their perception of the week of Oct. 22 as the week for exams. Jorge Garcia, SEAS ’10, was one, explaining that “e-mails from student organizations talk about midterms ‘coming around the corner’ around this time of the year”. He proposed having midterms spread out over two weeks. Anil Amin, CC ’09, expressed a similar opinion, his preference being having a week dedicated to preparing for and taking midterms, opposing a policy that would require students to take multiple exams in one day.

Legassie, who schedules his midterms “when it makes sense thematically,” disagreed with the idea of implementing a finals week-style system for midterms—mainly for logistical reasons. He also commented, however, that it is sometimes disheartening to see students “coming to class like wilted lettuce” after weeks of dealing with midterms constantly.

“I’m just glad that I’m not the one taking the tests,” Carter said.