Warning: The following column is the sole opinion of a ranting and irrevocably stressed teenager averaging six hours of sleep per night. All accusations and suggestions are due to several emotional breakdowns and to-do lists the size of ancient Egypt parchments.
Now that I have addressed the potential bias of this column, it is time to address the age old debate on campus: Should finals be before or after Winter Break? To me it isn’t even a question.
Without a doubt final exams should be taken before we take a break from everything academics for two weeks. Of course they should be taken before we spend 14+ days reliving our summertime freedom, subbing the Texas heat for a hint of holiday cheer. Final exams should absolutely be taken before the student body proceeds to forget all the knowledge they have attained over the past four months. It isn’t even a question.
Not only is it silly for us to postpone the end of the semester until after the holidays because of the chance students will forget what they learned, but also Winter Break has the word break in it for a reason. The last thing I want to be doing on my last couple days of break is cramming for the review projects I have due on the first day we get back, in typical procrastinator fashion. It would be refreshing to come back to school after a nice relaxing break, ready to start the new semester on a fresh note, not immediately back into stress-mode.
So regardless of why the system is the way it is, it’s time to make a change.