As classes enter their final week and finals are just around the corner, at least students can look forward to study days – well, if that is what you are thinking then guess again! Yes, my friends, another luxury has been taken from us, those two wonder- ful and biannual study days afforded to us students slaving away before finals begins.
Apparently the Boston College administration has complete faith in its student body to adequate prepare for final exams without any study days because… everyone else is doing it? Think again! Until last year, Harvard gave its undergraduate nearly two weeks to prepare for final exams – TWO WEEKS! This year, Harvard changed its policy – students are taking exams be- fore Christmas and are only given one week of preparation.
Even MIT, whose students have been known to throw a couple pianos off roofs, un- derstands its students needs for study days – students are given one study day. Ditto with Wellesley College, who “awards” (since it has be- come a privilege for those of us on the B line to have study days) a one day Reading Pe- riod for its undergraduates.
And do I dare to push the knife deeper? Well, even the old hockey arch-rival, Bos- ton University has two days set aside for its students. And in case you have not taken the hint, BC’s study days: zero (un- less you are counting the “study weekend” as I am calling it).
What caused this change in the exam schedule? It is unknown but most likely, the Boston College administration decided to rebel against tradi- tion or thought no one would notice the lack of study days and that the simple weekend (Saturday and Sunday) would suffice – giving students ample time to prepare for five exams.
However, this is a gross understatement – students should be expressing their outrage over this injustice! Is it our fault the university did not plan accordingly on the academic calendar? And why should we have to suffer for it?
My solution: why not just shorten the number of exam days from seven to five and give students those two days in the future? That would benefit both sides – students and professors would not be left on cam- pus until December 21, a mere four days before Christmas and the university could close down the university earlier.
And has the administration even pondered the following: What happens to students who need to meet with profes- sors? Does the university seri- ously believe that professors will come in on a Saturday or Sunday – days when classes are not considered “in session” to meet with students or hold review sessions? What about students that have exams lined up one after another or exams before classes end? How does this benefit them?
As undergraduates, we need to stand together on this issue, because much more is at stake if we do not speak up! Who knows, perhaps Spring Break is next on the chop- ping block or Thanksgiving.
Why am I making such a big deal about this? Am I angry about not having my two study days? YES, I AM. But that is not the main source of my anger. I am more angered that we are al- lowing the university to do this.
We need to make the university understand they cannot pull these stunts on the student body – we should be given more of a dialogue in issues we feel we are being stripped of!
