In a week full of sleepless nights and mountains of homework, students are trying to find a way of survival in a time known as dead week, the time period that falls the week before final examinations put a cap on the semester.
“Dead week is one of the craziest weeks of the year, possibly worse than finals week,” Aly Rocha, junior in family studies and human services, said.
Although students may be drowning in presentations, speeches, essays and more, professors are prohibited from assigning any kind of test or exam during this week.
According to the university handbook, section F70 states, “Except for honors, problems, seminar, reports, research, laboratory practical, language, 8-week evening college, studio and fine arts performance classes, the last examination (either unit or comprehensive) must be given during the final examination period. No examination (unit or final) may be scheduled seven calendar days prior to the first scheduled day of semester examinations.”
Despite the written rule, professors may often schedule final exams during dead week.
Claire Duke, graduate student in academic advising, said some of the students she tutors have final exams throughout dead week.
“Finals during dead week makes everything more stressful, for both the student and the tutor,” Duke said. “It doesn’t give us a lot of time for preparation and it extends finals week to two weeks.”
However people may define dead week, the common theme always seems to be that this week can be just as busy or even busier than finals week.
“Dead week is fairly busy, I have a lot of students with mainly papers and projects that are due,” Maryclare Wheeler, academic advisor for student athletes, said. “Tutor scheduling remains the same and students rally as they prepare for finals week.”
