Has the change in the finals week schedule this year impacted you?
“I have noticed that finals week is later this year,” said junior Andrea Toth. “I actually had a Snapchat memory on Tuesday from two years ago posting that it was the last day of class.”
This year, due to COVID-19, the semester began later in February, as opposed to a normal start in January. Because of this, the last day of classes is May 10, and finals week goes through May 18, as opposed to the first week of May like in previous years.
Some students who have not experienced the previous finals schedule say they are unaware of this change.
“This is my first year here, so I don’t know how much later it is compared to other years,” said freshman Aryanna Argenzio.
Similarly, other students say they are not familiar with Sacred Heart University’s normal finals week schedule but have noticed a difference in the timing compared to other universities.
“Being a transfer student, I haven’t gone through finals at Sacred Heart,” said sophomore Jordan Borkoski. “But I did realize that it does seem a bit later than normal for finals.”
Many students say a later finals week has been a positive change for the end of their semester experience.
“Having a later finals week has positively impacted my mood,” said sophomore Natalia Shepherd. “It has allowed me more time with all of the material.”
Additionally, some students say that with a later finals week comes more time to study for exams and finish assignments.
“Finals are always stressful no matter what,” said Argenzio. “But I guess a later finals week gives us more time to prepare for them.”
On the other hand, some students say they are worried about their ability to stay dedicated to their schoolwork with finals being later in the month.
“There is just a large gap between my last class on May 6 to my last final on May 18,” said Toth. “During those days with no classes or finals, I feel as though I will lose motivation toward my last final since it is so far away.”
With the changes in the finals week schedule, many students say they enjoy an earlier end to the semester because it gives them more time to themselves for their summer break.
“I prefer ending the semester earlier than later,” said sophomore Sofia Brotto. “It was nice having a long winter break, but we didn’t get a spring break. Most of us work really hard during the year and ending the semester earlier means we get more time to enjoy being outside and relax with friends and family.”
Additionally, some students say they prefer an earlier end to the semester due to the difficulty in concentrating that comes with an online semester.
“Once the weather gets nice, it’s hard to get the motivation to go to class, especially since many classes are now online,” said Borkoski.
Other students say they are indifferent when it comes to whether they prefer ending the semester earlier or later.
“It’s a mix of yes and no,” said Shepherd. “I like that I have more time with my friends when ending later, but I also feel like the work is never-ending.”
Some students say they are hopeful that by next year the final schedule will resume as normal.
“We should go back to ending classes in April as soon as possible,” said Toth.
While some students may not appreciate ending later in May, some seniors say that they will savor every last minute they have left, even if it means being at school later in the month than usual.
“Being a senior, I’m happy to be getting a few extra weeks here,” said senior Alexa Irizarry.
