Reporting And Writing Class Fall 2010

BSU Prepares for Finals

Students Should Expect a Change in Schedule

By Andrew Pooch and Nick Jelacie

A semester that began in the ninety-degree heat of August will come to its close this week in the sub-zero temperatures of December. Students will find themselves adjusting to a different schedule than what they were used to during the semester. Many will also begin their finals rituals that help them through this busy time of year.

The change in schedule comes from within the records office at BSU. Dave Carlson is a registrar responsible for some key scheduling decisions. He became registrar in 1993 when BSU was still on the quarter system. He inherited a protocol for the system, but in the fall of 1998, BSU went to semesters. They needed a new scheduling parameter.

“I was responsible for setting it up, printing it out and getting it approved by the faculty senate,” said Carlson. BSU has used the same system to organize finals week since the fall of 1998.

The way Carlson designed the format was to spread out the most popular classes on different days. This would create the best probability for students to have their finals distributed throughout finals week. Each class that is two credits or higher is assigned a two-hour time slot during finals week. One-credit and night classes have their finals during the last meeting time for the class.

“There is constant discussion about the two-hour time slots,” said Carlson. “Faculty Senate brings it up every year during our schedule meetings.”

This two-hour time slot gives professors the opportunity to lengthen their finals, which some students can find overwhelming. Not all professors craft their final to fill two-hours, but the ones that do, pressure their students to study more.

Students around campus have mixed feelings about the class schedule. Some prefer the different time slots, others find it tough adjusting to change. BSU provides students with a reading day where no classes or finals are held to ease the transition into finals week.

Sophomore Matt Ellinghuysen said, “I used the reading day to tie up loose ends with my class work and study any material I needed to work on.“ He also felt that finals week was just another week of school, but is too drawn out. He thought the two-hour time slot was too long.

Other students see it as more free time to enjoy their hobbies.

“I have one final at the end of finals week,” said sophomore Riley Hirsh. “I basically just sit around and play video games, but might go to the library just to get out of my house.”

The finals schedule forces many students to change their habits. Some form rituals for every finals week and others find time to manage the newly acquired free time.

Junior Kevin Plzak enjoys balancing his studying time for finals with his gaming schedule. “I don’t need any extra time for studying; it’s just another week of school for me.”

Others may find it more difficult to take on the task of finals. Some students like senior Nick Zemke find themselves stuck in the library during finals week.

“I have trouble concentrating at home, so I spend a lot of time in the library,” said Zemke. “I have finals in all of my major classes which require a lot of studying.”

For students that needed a break before finals, the Hobson Union Programming Board organized de-stressing activities that students could participate in prior to the busy finals week. There were puppies and kittens for students to play with in the Crying Wolf Room, a massage area near Java City and free stress ball handout at the Hobson Union desk. The Campus Activities Board arranged for Comedian Jay Black to entertain students during the reading day.

As far as changes to come in the finals schedule, Carlson doesn’t see any significant changes happening anytime soon. Ellinghuysen and Hirsch would like to see shorter finals slots and fewer days in the schedule.

Carlson said, “If anyone has a suggestion, they can bring it to me, faculty, faculty senate, representatives of the faculty or the academic vice president. We are always looking for ways to improve the schedule.”