Imagine a finals week where you could control all the times of your exams.
This semester, I have the pleasure of taking three finals in one day. I have an in-person exam at a set time, a Canvas exam that I can take anytime that day and a group project due at midnight. All on the Monday of finals week. Even though I can do all of them at different times of the day, I know I am going to be mentally exhausted afterward.
According to Student Central, if you have more than three finals scheduled on the same day, you can take steps to have your exam schedule adjusted. First, check with your instructors to find out if you can schedule a make-up exam. If not, check the exam schedule to find out which three exams come first during the day. You have to make sure you let your instructors know by the middle of the semester.
On one hand, I love the idea of having most of my finals completed early in the week, but on the other hand, I am stressed trying to figure out how I am going to do three finals in one day without exploding.
Until this year, I never had issues with my finals schedule. Most of my exams were on different days, or I had a paper or story due for a class that I could do ahead of time. I have absolutely no idea how to go about this, but I know I am not the first person to experience this and how it can affect your finals.
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Every college student deals with finals week. Some have it harder than others depending on the classes they are taking and the type of final. Finals week this semester is May 2-6, and students need to start thinking about how to get everything done without overstressing.
Depending on the type of exam, whether it be a Canvas exam or a paper, students should be able to control when it is due. Obviously, the instructor should get some say because they might not want to wait until the Friday of finals week to get everyone’s finals. But giving a bigger window to complete the final can go a long way.
One of my professors last semester had our final paper due on the Friday of finals week but made it so we could turn it in at any point a week prior. That was extremely helpful for me because I was able to get it out of the way early on and focus on other finals.
Although it is too close to this semester’s finals week to make any serious changes, I would recommend looking ahead in your syllabi next semester. You can see when your finals are and talk to your instructors about moving them around or being more flexible with due dates.
Finals week does not have to be as stressful as it seems. If your finals are spread out and you come prepared, it can be a chill week. If you are in a situation like me where one of your finals is a group project, try talking with your group so you can get it done sooner — or even just do your part so it is out of the way. Even though students don’t have much autonomy in planning their finals now, the best advice I can give about finals week is to simply plan ahead.
Olivia Franklin (she/her) is a junior studying journalism with a minor in political science. She is a member of the swim club at IU and the Women in Media organization.
