What’s the rush? Keep the old final exam schedule.
This week, the stalls of Firestone are full and campus is focused as students are preparing for the end of the semester and the ever-approaching finals period. In an attempt to improve the student experience around this time of the semester, on Feb. 16, Dean of the College Jill Dolan sent an email to the undergraduate student body announcing a pilot final exam schedule for the Spring 2024 semester. According to Dolan, this schedule allows “students to sit for up to two exams in a day, which will facilitate a more efficient exam period.” Ideally, this pilot schedule would help shorten the exam period in the spring, enabling students to finish the semester earlier, something that students were concerned about, according to the email. But this exam schedule has the potential to be detrimental both to students’ academic achievement and mental health during the exam period. Students’ wellbeing and academic success should take priority over efficiency — the University should maintain the old final exam schedule.