Last-day exams bump move-out

Students with finals on the last day of the exam period have been granted a one-day respite this year before they must move out of their dorms.

Those who have exams Saturday, May 26 can apply to extend their move-out deadline to noon on Sunday, May 27. This marks a change from previous years, when students who had exams on the last Saturday of testing were nonetheless required to move out by 5 p.m. on the same day.

Housing Department director Andrew Kane said the decision to offer an extension to students resulted from a rise in the number of Saturday exams, not from student requests.

"It wasn't so much a complaint," he said. "We just realized that there were a number of students who had exams late in the day on Saturday, and asking them to move their belongings out by Saturday at 5 p.m. was just not feasible."

Typically, the housing department advises students with finals scheduled for the last Saturday of the exam period to organize their belongings the Friday before their tests. This year, though, the department decided to reevaluate its policy for students with exams on the last day, Kane said.

"We encourage students to pack up in advance," he said, "but we understand that sometimes that just isn't feasible."

The offer of extensions this year is on a trial basis, Kane said, noting that the policy may only become permanent after the University observes how it affects Reunions preparations and student happiness.

"I think we'll have a look at how it goes this year and whether it's successful, and we'll see how it goes from here," Kane said.

Undergraduate Housing Manager Angela Hodgeman said the push to get students to vacate their rooms as soon as possible stems from the need to prepare rooms for the influx of returning alumni. "We have a very limited amount of time to prepare rooms for Reunions," she said, "so we need to give our cleaning crew, who are really stretched for time already, enough time to get ready."

Students with exams on the last day of finals reacted warmly to the new policy. Jessica Lee '09, whose chemical engineering class' final is scheduled for May 26, said that before she was informed of the new policy, she was anxious about having to pack while studying.

Though this was the first time she had an exam on the last day of testing, Lee said she had heard stories from friends about the difficulties of moving out on the same day as an exam. "This is my first time having something on the last day, but I've always had friends with something on the last day," she said. "It's always stressful having to pack and get out on time."

Kenneth Liew '10, who has the Physics 104: General Physics II final Saturday morning, agreed that the extension gives him one less thing to worry about during a stressful finals period. "It's more relaxed," he said. "You don't have to rush after the test to pack up and have your parents come in or something."