It’s the second year that we’ve had exams before the break. My freshman year and all the years prior that the school existed, exams were the second week after the break. It was those years that students collectively moaned and groaned about having to take their exams after the break. After years of complaints about the timing of exams, by my sophomore year (last year), exams were moved to the week before we get out for break.

An optimist would think that everyone is satisfied and no one is complaining because after all, we got what we wanted. Right? Well apparently there are problems with exams before the break now too. Coming back from Thanksgiving and having two weeks to cram before a week full of exams hasn’t quite gone over as well as this optimist would think. With the addition of the two extra days off due to the ice, most people are complaining about the exams approaching so soon. And when I saw the exam schedule for the first time, I have to admit, I was just as frustrated as everybody else.

You see, the way my schedule lines up with the exams schedule is that I take 4 exams back to back. The schedule allows two exams each day but within the first 2 days I take the only 4 exams I have. I immediately beat myself down and sulked because of my unlucky draw. And after talking with friends about my predicament, I became even angrier as they all expressed their negative reactions to the exam week schedule as well. It wasn’t until I started writing this column that I realized it may not be so bad after all.

I started thinking about the fact that we could go on break for two weeks and then come back and face exams. Plus, I could have one exam each day and be stressed the entire week. Eventually I realized: IT COULD BE SO MUCH WORSE.

Yes, taking 4 exams in the first two days means I will have to cram earlier but at least I can get it all over with. That way I can stress for the first two days and then sit back and relax the next two. It’s almost like I’m done with school and start my break two days earlier than everyone else.

We didn’t want exams after break so the administration moved them to before the break. But then, we didn’t like that either. What do we expect, no exams at all? That’s not feasible. It is very easy and even natural to complain but at what point are we pleased? There has to be a happy medium somewhere. What I’ve learned through this whole experience is the cliche that I need to make the best out of every situation. It’s something we have all heard  many times before and it is something that we all need to do.