As many students at the University of Idaho are preparing for finals, from the packed library to an increase in energy consumption and a huge spike in stress in students, it’s easy to wonder if finals are even worth having.
Every class is different. Some classes don’t even have final tests, but rather projects or papers. Others don’t have finals at all.
Josifina Davis, a sociology major, said that she doesn’t have any tests for finals, but papers instead. “Tests would be way worse. That still doesn’t mean there’s not stress with it, though.”
The ones that do have finals put in a lot of effort to either save or raise their grade in the class.
Traditionally, a final is a cumulative test on all the material covered in a class over the whole semester. However, some professors choose to only test on new or relevant material to the course.
To prepare for finals, the university designates the week before as “dead week.” This is a week where there is supposed to be no new material or tests for students. It is designed for students to review, study and ask professors questions for finals.
However, some students are still assigned tests and new material through the week. This defeats the purpose, especially for students who have classes with a heavy course load.
This makes students resort to studying during late hours for finals rather than in the original review time that the university recommends.
Still, UI does a lot to help students get ready for finals. Every year, they hold Finals Fest, which presents a way for students to unwind and have fun before exams. ASUI also gives out energy drinks and snacks for students during finals week.
While finals are extremely stressful for students, they can still be helpful in other ways.
“I think they’re helpful for testing if you know the information,” Davis said. “It’s necessary to see how a class is doing. If the class isn’t doing well, that’s more of a reflection on the professor and how the course is structured.”
Finals could be truly helpful if the university had a stricter policy for dead week and preparation for finals. Rather than giving students new material and tests, hosting study groups and review sessions with professors would help far more.
This exam season is yet another full of stress, anxiety and late nights. While the idea of finals is helpful for students to maintain course information and reflect on the class as a whole, it’s important to remember that they need as much help and support as possible during this time. UI does a lot to aid them, but there could be stricter policies in place regarding dead week.
Andrea Roberts can be reached at [email protected].