Author: Malcolm MacLeod
A number of students have recently expressed complaints about having only two days (four including the weekend) off from classes for reading days this semester. While those four days might prove sufficient under normal circumstances, some Occidental professors have been unfairly cutting into reading days with additional work for students when other grades are still contingent upon their performance during finals.
Many students have based their complaints on the preconception that students at other schools have more adequate time to study. However, the Claremont schools get only two full days, Stanford University grants its students three days and the University of Southern California provides four. It appears that one of the few schools that has significantly more reading days than Occidental is Harvard, whose students are given an entire week of preparation. If Harvard students get a week to prepare, then four days should suffice for students at Occidental.
However, the problem with reading days at Occidental every semester, is that some professors have scheduled their last, absurdly described “mid-term” exams and presentations during the so-called reading period. These ill-timed examination dates are forcing students to worry about those assessments and distracting them from preparing for finals.
It is possible that these untimely, last-minute examinations are the result of mismanaged time on behalf of professors. If that is the case, then professors need to change their ways and adjust their schedules to prevent this overlap. It is unfair to ask students to cater their study schedules to the whims of professors who have not taken the proper precautions to ensure that they fit all of their material into the allocated time of a semester.
Throughout the semester, students are forced to balance homework, tests, extracurriculars and a social life all at once. Reading days represent the one time of year that students have only their studies to worry about. By shoehorning assignment due dates into the reading days, these professors are jeopardizing the ability of students to manage their time effectively. It cannot be denied that changes must be initiated by the higher tiers of Occidental administrators whose responsibility it is to ensure that students have adequate means to prepare themselves for their examinations.
Occidental students have a right to be concerned about this blatant intrusion into a time that is reserved for them to do as they please. However, any short-term action is unlikely, so students must unfortunately evade the inconveniences presented by late-term examinations. It may not be ideal but those expecting a late midterm during the reading period should make sure to hit the books over Thanksgiving to give themselves every available advantage. This will be essential for students during this inadequate reading period, as they are forced to compensate for the shortcomings of Occidental professors.
Malcolm MacLeod is undeclared sophomore. He can be reached at macleod@oxy.edu or on Twitter @WklyMMacLeod.
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