Anyone on the quarter system knows that ten weeks is not long enough for classes, yet we endure and face the challenge. Anyone at UC Davis can say they have personally felt victimized by the system because they have not been given time to actually study for their finals. One thing we could use is a dead week. Most colleges give their students a whole week off, no instruction, no discussions. The campus is open for students to study and prepare for their tests.
The reason why a dead week is important is because frankly as students we do not have enough time to study for one midterm and then study for the cumulative final for the same class. On Monday you could have a midterm for your class, so you study really hard for the second portion of your class, you know everything, and you take the test. Then on Wednesday you can take a cumulative test, one that defines whether or not you have mastered the material that was covered in those entire 10 weeks. Now how is that fair? This can even take a toll on our mental health because we’re so stressed. These cumulative tests factor into our GPAs, and then they define if we will go to grad school, or they define our future jobs — and we don’t even have adequate time for them.
So without a dead week, what can one actually do? Self care, and care for everyone around us. We are all going through the same thing. These next few weeks, smile a little more at people, because you have no idea who just walked out of a midterm. Go to the CoHo for 50% off coffee because — bless their souls — a strong French roast can go a long way. Or go see the therapy fluffies, because petting cute puppies can destress anyone.
Time management is the best thing, and since we’ve got 10 weeks we might as well make the most of it. The quick pace sometimes makes us forget the basics. Shower, sleep, and food tend to not be a priority, whereas coffee is the entire food pyramid. Just know there are people you can talk to, like people at the Student Health and Counseling Services. And perhaps start advocating for a dead week; a few more days would be beneficial for every student’s health.
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