Dead week, what is that?
I’m pretty sure it means you might find my skeleton in Wilson Hall curled up with an AP Stylebook by the time Dec. 13 rolls around.
For most, the meaning of dead week is cramming in as much studying as possible, finishing all the projects your teachers assigned the beginning of the semester and pretend to read the book you picked out for a report, then just search it online.
At other schools, the term “dead week” holds a different meaning.
At some places it means professors don’t assign homework or give tests, class time is shortened to review for finals and for some, students get a whole day off from classes to study.
I’m not saying we should get a whole week off of classes. Let’s be honest, most people wouldn’t use an entire week to study.
I must say though, this is the most busy I’ve been all semester. Not because I slacked on doing my projects or writing my papers because anyone who knows me, knows how incredibly punctual I am.
I’m busy because professors are assigning last-minute items out of generosity to those who are failing and need extra points. My course load for the week revolves around presentations and final projects before even thinking of studying for finals.
Not to mention a lot of students have a job and are trying to squeeze in hours before they leave for the holidays.
It would be nice if we as students had a day free of presentations, assignments and last-minute tests. Is it too much to ask?
A blog that went viral in late October has taken the attention of many.
Alex Wiggins, a 15-year teaching veteran who works as a learning coach specialist at an American international school wrote about how she shadowed a student for one day.
Wiggins was astounded by how unproductive a lot of classes were and how she didn’t realize the amount of time students had to put into one class.
While this was written about a sophomore in high school, I believe the same idea can be applied to college students. Being the daughter of a teacher, I understand how incredibly busy professors can be.
But do they realize how busy we are?
We too, take our school work home with us and on top of being full-time students we also have jobs to help pay for the education we’re receiving.
When dead week rolls around, the term means caffeine by the gallon, minimal sleep and eyes glued to the computer. Finals week for some is worse – I can’t imagine how those with organic chemistry and physics cope. I can barely stand after taking two journalism finals in one day.
I’m not putting down our professors by any means. If I went to any of my professors and told them I needed help, they would all try their hardest to arrange something.
Murray State is notorious for how much our faculty cares for students and I know it to be true.
My point is that I think dead week shouldn’t even be a term. If we don’t truly use it the way it is supposed to be used then it’s just another week.
Maybe in the future it will actually be a week for students to study.
Column by Kelsey Randolph, Assistant Sports Editor