Not so ‘final’ exams

Professors should only assign one final per class

JACKIE MARQUEZ / OPINION EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

ZOE MARIE ZAPANTA / ASST. OPINION EDITOR / THE USD VISTA

The end of the semester is right around the corner. As students secure their summer plans and prep their cap and gowns for graduation, the excitement of crossing the finish line sets in. But before celebrations can ensue, professors are sure to remind students that the semester is not over yet. The stress of final exams comes first. 

A final exam can take many forms. Some professors assign presentations, papers or research projects. There’s  nothing  wrong with   these  test alternatives, but they become problematic when professors assign them on top of a traditional sit-down exam. For instance, this semester I, Jackie Marquez,  have eight finals despite  only  taking five academic  courses. Of  these eight finals, two are research papers, two are presentations   and   four  are   tests. 

With professors  doubling up on finals, these assessments  have   become more   stressful  than  they need to be. By  assigning   more  than one final for a singular class, professors   intensify  the burnout students feel, distract them from their other end-of-semester responsibilities and create more work for themselves. 

It’s     no   surprise   that  students    are   exhausted and burnt out at the end of the semester. According to University of the People, academic burnout can be defined as “a negative emotional, physical and mental reaction to prolonged study that results in exhaustion, frustration, lack of motivation and reduced ability in school.” 

Burnout can be triggered by many things that a college student deals with on a daily basis, such as a heavy academic workload or finances. Having to complete multiple finals on top of these responsibilities only exacerbates symptoms like exhaustion. As   college  students, we all know that completing a final takes time and effort. For papers, you need to outline your ideas, research your topic, draft your essay and then edit. For tests you need to dedicate hours to studying. Maybe you go through all your notes, make a quizlet or answer practice questions. There are many ways to study, but all of them take time. 

Having to double or even triple the time and effort you dedicate to one class is exhausting, frustrating and time consuming. It may even harm your  sleep  schedule; all-nighters are alarmingly common during exam season. With little sleep, it is increasingly difficult to deal with  things, and having to deal with multiple finals for each class only contributes to burn-out and exhaustion. 

Besides final examinations, the end of the semester also brings other responsibilities. Graduating seniors have to prepare for their big day as well, coordinating with loved ones coming to town. On top of this, they’re expected to figure out their post-grad plans for housing, work or travel.  

Returning students also have additional responsibilities to focus on, such as moving out, which is often chaotic. Having more than one final takes up the additional time that students need to get their affairs in order, and this is especially inconvenient given USD’s move-out policy. Here at USD, students are required to move out of their dorms within 24 hours of their last final. This means that, unless students can pack up their entire dorm in one day, they must multi-task studying and packing, just to move out on time and avoid late fees. Ultimately, having more than one final per class adds to the stress of managing end of the semester responsibilities. 

While multiple finals are less than ideal for students, professors obviously have their reasons  for  assigning them. Tests  and exams require students to exhibit what they’ve learned in different ways. By assigning both a test and a project professors can test what their students have learned, and then evaluate their ability to apply this knowledge. Having a final project on top of a traditional exam also provides an opportunity for poorer test takers to better demonstrate what they’ve learned. While these benefits of having multiple exams are a good thing, they don’t fully justify the drawbacks. 

The increased stress, exhaustion and time commitment that comes with having multiple exams may impact a student’s ability to perform well on any of the given assignments. Sometimes, students feel as though they must pick and choose which assignments they would like to prioritize and thus do well on. As such, too many exams may show that some students are tired, stressed and overwhelmed, instead of what they’ve actually learned. 

To avoid unnecessary stress for themselves and their students, professors can have one comprehensive final, instead of multiple smaller ones in order to assess student learning. 

Having one, traditional test that includes essay questions allows professors to evaluate what their students have learned, as well as their ability to apply it. Professors could also lower the weight of the final so that students’ grades are represented by the work they’ve done throughout the semester, rather than one test.  By implementing these changes, professors would save themselves time grading and also minimize the pressure that comes with getting grades out on time for graduating students. 

Having one final, rather than multiple, is beneficial for both professors and students. Ultimately, changing the norm around finals would allow students to start their summer more stress-free.