The holiday season is one I always look forward to: gifts-a-giving, hugs-a-hugging, and the New Year New Yearing. However, before I can get to that point (no eating grapes under a table quite yet), another season must take place. This one is much less merry, and usually involves the cramming of studying instead of gingerbread into my mouth.
That’s right folks, FINALS SEASON!!!
I don’t know who this person is but they’re a vibe.
Term papers, outstanding assignments, and final examinations culminate in a week likened to an entire season — because it can surely feel that way.
Finals season is never the same for me. Every semester, depending on my classes, the workload I have to manage during this time can vary greatly. One fall, I had to write 5 papers in a week. Another, I had no in-person finals and went home almost two weeks early. This most recent semester, my biggest “final” was a 10-minute solo Shakeseaprean performance from Timon of Athens.
However, at Yale, finals season does not always have to be a stress-inducing ordeal. In fact, many people enjoy finals season. This is largely thanks to Reading Week.
Visual representation of my aura when Reading Week hits.
Before final examinations begin, classes do not meet and students are given a few days of designated study time, referred to as “Reading Week.” Whether I’m actually studying or not (kidding/not kidding), Reading Week is the perfect opportunity to take a deep breath and refocus before closing out the semester. Leading up to finals, I’m usually looking at my syllabi and wondering, “Who would ever choose courses with so many overlapping final deadlines??” (The answer is always me). That said, once Reading Week hits, my fears are put to rest; I always end up having enough time to sort it all out.
Yale has other practices in place to help students succeed, like the option to take classes “Credit/D/Fail” instead of for a letter grade (potential GPA saver) or make-your-own trail mix stations set up in dining halls during finals.
I can’t say I like finals (at all really) (I pretty much avoid final examinations at all costs), but I CAN say that they’re never quite as bad as I expect them to be. So whether you find yourself studying for a final Spanish presentation or drafting a 40-page lab report, I’m sure you’ll make it through finals season before you know it.
