We’ve passed the halfway mark and are headed towards the final stretch of the semester. This means cramming, all-nighters, caffeine binges – in a simple word, stress. But many students are still stuck on the midterm mountain, awaiting test grades, feedback on papers or simply an upgraded average for the semester.
Though many students expect stress as a normal factor of college life, there are measures that can improve and lower the amount of stress that the students endure.Producing a standardized midterm week, similar to that of finals week, would allow both professors to adjust their syllabi for grading purposes, and for students to better focus on midterm tests, without the distraction of other class work assignments thrown into the mix.
The registrar, professors and students both relate midterms to the midpoint of the semester and correlate this with the last day to drop a class. Midterm grades play a vital role in whether a student, in fact, decides whether to drop a class or not. Students cannot accurately gauge their standing in a particular class without weighing in a midterm grade.
There are currently a wide variety of dates that students take midterms, which in turn causes a variety of issues. Professors can’t accurately assess a student’s workload, like they can in finals week when they know the schedule of other tests. Students are also forced to wait for an extended period of time for midterm grades, often missing the deadline to drop a class or having to decide not knowing accurately where they stand.
In making this suggestion for a standardized or designated midterm week, we recognize the fact that midterms are stressful on the professors as well. Midterms don’t necessarily have to be condensed into a single week, but having this designated slot would allow professors to adjust their syllabi.
According to the projected midterm week, it would allow students a time frame to expect to see midterm grades before the final drop day, instead of playing the guessing game.
Professors would also be able to adjust reading assignments, homework assignments and projects to reflect the week that midterms are scheduled. We also recognize the fact that professors plan their syllabi according to the material they would like to cover over the course of the semester, and adding another designated testing week could possibly cut back on material.
Though finals week is stressful in itself, students are able to manage their time and know what week finals are early on in the semester.
Professors know this information as well and have a designated date and time to turn in final grades. The entire campus has the same attitude this time of year, and respects the stress levels that others are enduring.
However, we don’t know how well a designated midterm week would work. We do know that something has to change – policy wise.
There is no definite answer on reducing stress in college life, but being better prepared for midterms and being able to know midterm grades in a timely fashion would greatly improve stress levels of students, staff and faculty.