Hofstra's final exam dates are a defeat for everyone

Photo courtesy of Unseen Studio via Unsplash

Like many, my favorite time of the year spans from Halloween to the winter holidays. Yet, over the last few years, it has not been easy to celebrate the things I love most about the holidays while at university. Sure, Hofstra has made some effort, but not nearly as much as they could, which is an entirely separate issue. We all look forward to finishing the fall semester and using the winter break to properly celebrate while at home. 

 Hofstra’s students and administration are currently gearing up for the most wonderful yet stressful time of the year. Through it all, the reward of finishing my coursework and heading home to celebrate with family and friends makes the hardships worth it. Just the image of finishing my classes and honoring my favorite holiday activities leaves me with a feeling of warmth and inspires me to keep pushing through. 

While recently making travel plans, I discovered that this year’s final exams are set on Thursday, Dec. 14, and Friday, Dec. 15, interrupted by the weekend, then continuing Monday, Dec. 18, to Wednesday, Dec. 20.

Yes, that’s right. This year’s final exams will require most students to extend their time on campus and delay the time they could be home. Last fall, exams ended on Monday, Dec. 19, but many students were done with their exams before the weekend.

If your exams only fall on Thursday and Friday, consider yourself lucky, as many of us will have to stay that weekend. But why don’t we have final exams all in that same week? The first week set for scheduled finals, classes will meet regularly on Monday, Dec. 11. However, there will be no classes for undergraduate courses on Tuesday, Dec. 12, and Wednesday, Dec. 13, as they are the university’s snow/study/reading days.

I’d rather take my exams during the snow/study/reading dates and have the opportunity to leave earlier. With the inclusion of the weekend, there is a total of four days that prevents students from departing early and celebrating the holiday in their comfort.

Since regular classes are expected to meet on Dec. 11, why not schedule the snow days for Monday and Tuesday? That may allow some flexibility for students to leave.

While everyone’s final exams look different, not everyone will benefit from those four days. Exam preparation involves more than just studying and revising notes. To perform at their best, students must manage their stress and anxiety which requires mental and emotional preparation. Unfortunately, delaying the exams will only add to their worries, and students may find coping with the added stress challenging.

Additionally, Hofstra’s fall semester began much later than most other universities. Our first day of classes in 2023 began on Sept. 5, whereas many other schools started classes in August. If we began classes earlier, there may have been the potential to have a more organized finals week.

Students are not the only ones impacted by this year’s late exams. Our professors must stay late to proctor our exams, and resident assistants must assist with residents moving out. 

On a personal note, having a birthday during finals week sounds unlucky, but they’ve worked out the last couple of years that I could celebrate with my family and friends. My 21st birthday is on that Saturday, and that may mean I have to stay the weekend for my exams instead of celebrating back home. Sure, I can celebrate at Hofstra, but family is important to me and many other students.

 Unfortunately, the way the dates work out for the semester’s conclusion is not ideal. At the end of the day, everyone has worked hard the last few months, and that is something that the higher-ups at Hofstra should recognize for students and everyone involved in the Hofstra community. While two days does not seem like much time, in the grand scheme of the holiday season, that’s a significant portion of celebrating what is supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year.”