Rethinking the calendar

Why finals should be moved back to January

Staff Writer

It’s the middle of December. The rotunda is decked out with Christmas decorations and the holiday spirit is almost palpable. That is, if the holiday spirit refers to cramming for finals. As the rest of the population winds down and celebrates, students are buried under mountains of notes and anxiety, hoping that their efforts may grant them an “A” in their classes. What if the year did not have to culminate in finals rather than Christmas? Moving finals to January is the chance to convert academic chaos and depression into peace and clarity.

December is already way too overwhelming. Who wants to be thinking about projectile motion or Gatsby’s green light while holiday parties, basketball games, and winter concerts are underway? Although teachers try to put as much holiday spirit into their exams as possible, the joy of solving for “x” has a limit, and combined with the fact that there are only two-and-a-half weeks of school in December, finals often feel rushed and out of place.

With a later finals date, students might be able to study more. Ryan Lu (10) said, “Some pros of January finals include having more time to prepare for the exam. Additionally, teachers can have more time to create a more stretched-out and detailed curriculum.”

In addition to helping students, the change would also give teachers a break during the busiest time in the year. Instead of having to scramble to grade 150 scantrons and essays within two weeks, they could use the break to catch their breath and prepare for the exams. Plus, grading could happen in a calmer environment, free of holiday related chaos.

But what about the winter break? Would January finals cause students to stress during winter break? Yes, of course.

Lu said, “Moving finals to January will impact students’ performances, as the thought of finals will linger throughout the holiday season. If they need to prepare for finals, they will need to carve out time for preparation during break, potentially hindering family plans over the holidays.” Increased stress over the break is inevitable, but let’s be honest: even with finals looming, most students will spend a majority of their break enjoying their time rather than rushing to study. In addition, the change in schedule will allow students to relax during Thanksgiving break. Thus, although it will require some review over the winter break, the trade-off is a more manageable December.

The truth is, no matter when finals are, it will always interfere with some event and hinder students’ ability to relax. However, moving finals to January may alleviate unnecessary stress for students, giving them more time to master the material and enjoy their break. And maybe no more associating candy canes with stoichiometry.

With finals occurring in December, students are left cramming in the two-and-a-half weeks in the month, pulling their hair out trying to grasp the core concepts. With such a rushed schedule, students have no time to prepare and may potentially end up destroying their GPA (Photo Credit: Ryan Liu (10)).

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a “dueling” piece, placed on the print issue beside another article arguing the opposition of the stance taken in this article. That opposing article can be found here: https://eagleera.org/2025/01/12/not-rethinking-the-calendar/