Editorial: Misery loves company

First, there is intrinsic value in having all senior independent work due at the same time. It seems unfair that certain individuals could potentially have an extra six weeks to work on their theses by virtue of which department they are in. Of course, some might argue that independent work in certain departments just takes longer to complete, but this seems highly implausible given that few students actually work on their theses for the entire eight months of senior year. Further undercutting this argument is the fact that certain departments with more substantial laboratory time commitments have earlier deadlines than purely theoretical departments.

A uniform deadline would also have a range of social benefits for the senior class. Having everyone finish at the same time would create a valuable bonding opportunity for the senior class — no one wants to be the one still working while their friends enjoy their remaining time at Princeton. While it is true that students could already finish early if they really wanted to, there is no compelling reason for the University not to make that choice easier when it can do so at little cost.

Finally, a uniform deadline would give all seniors an equal opportunity to regroup and put together their other coursework at the end of the semester. When seniors enter their carrels to begin to work on their theses in earnest, other coursework inevitably falls by the wayside. A uniform thesis deadline in mid-April would give all seniors an equal opportunity to re-engage with their spring semester courses before reading period and exams. It would also give students more time to review material from past departmental courses in preparation for comprehensive exams. This simple change would allow all seniors to put their best foot forward at the end of the year.

One potential concern with setting a uniform deadline is that local business would find it difficult to bind more than 1,000 theses at once. One possible solution would be to set a uniform deadline for seniors to submit their theses by e-mail but to have staggered deadlines for bound copies. In any case, the benefits of setting a uniform deadline are many, and the University should seriously consider implementing this proposal for the Class of 2011.