Students scrambling to finish course work this week may feel like “Dead Week” is anything but dead, but there was a time when the name fit the atmosphere on campus during the last week of classes.
Until the mid-1950s, no University classes were held the week before final examinations, according to Mary Hudzikiewicz, a retired assistant dean of students at the University. And although classes met during Dead Week when she attended the University from 1959 to 1963, Dead Week class time was usually spent reviewing for finals.
“Lots of the classes we had during Dead Week were study classes,” she said. “Definitely, there were absolutely no exams during that week.”
But times have changed for University students. Now, it’s more common for students to squeeze in study time for finals between finishing up term papers and projects and even preparing for Dead Week exams.
According to legislation passed by the University Assembly, no exam worth more than 20 percent of the final grade can be given during Dead Week, with the exception of make-up exams. Projects due during Dead Week must be specified on the class syllabus within the first two weeks of the term. And under University rules, no final exams may be given “under any guise.”
Some professors still try to keep Dead Week course work light. Sociology professor Michael Dreiling is one such professor. Dreiling said there are no quizzes, in-class exams or papers due Dead Week in his classes.
“My intention is to respect the principle of Dead Week,” he said, adding that his strategy gives students more time to prepare for final exams.
But in other classes, there will be projects and papers due this week, and some professors will give final exams.
Edward Awh, a professor in the psychology department, said he will give the last exam in a class this week. The exam will be worth between 20 and 30 percent of students’ final grade, he said.
Awh said giving the final exam during Dead Week is better for students because the material is fresher in their minds. He added that most students seem to prefer having the exam then, possibly because it allows them to focus more on studying for his class, instead of combining it with studying for all their other finals.
Students have expressed mixed opinions on having assignments and tests during Dead Week.
Some students, such as junior Michael Callahan, don’t mind Dead Week due dates. Callahan said his Dead Week is “basically stress-free” this term, because the only assignment he has to turn in this week is a research paper. But that hasn’t been his experience in the past, he said.
“You think (Dead Week) would be the week you’re studying for finals, but instead it’s usually the week you’re finishing projects,” he said.
Other students resent having projects due the week before finals. Senior Laurie Thompson said the group presentation she is working on this week is leaving her with less time to prepare for her finals next week.
“I don’t like it when teachers assign presentations for Dead Week, because then you have to spend Dead Week preparing for those instead of studying for finals,” she said.
But junior Erin Elbe said she likes having exams during Dead Week rather than finals week, because then she can finish her course work for the term earlier.
“I don’t procrastinate, so the sooner it’s due, the sooner it’s out of the way,” she said.