EDITORIAL: An End To Cramming

SCUE's plan for re-structuring theSCUE's plan for re-structuring thesemester may provide some neededSCUE's plan for re-structuring thesemester may provide some neededrelief.SCUE's plan for re-structuring thesemester may provide some neededrelief.__________________________________ True, sunset happens at around 4:30, but last time we took an Astronomy course, an Earth day was still comprised of 24 hours. The deluge of final papers, examinations, and reports has apparently mired many University students in down and dirty work. There are some students who are stuck in this situation because of their own inability or desire to balance their workload with other pursuits. Yet, there are also many students who have diligently kept up to speed with their syllabi. Unfortunately, in the quest to do their best, they find the clock to be their biggest foe. Luckily, relief seems to be in sight. In a recent proposal to the University, the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education offered a new approach to the academic calendar. SCUE calls for a total of six reading days – four weekdays and a weekend – for each semester, rather than the current two or three. This change would put the University in line with other peer institutions such as Duke, the University of Virginia, and several Ivy League schools. It's an idea whose time has come. After all, it hardly seems fair that students, who either in diligence or in omission find themselves with a crammed exam schedule, should be penalized for 15 weeks of hard work. The SCUE plan also recommends that students have the same amount of time in each semester to learn the information. No, it's not the beautiful weather that makes second semester feel longer. Presently, the spring semester is actually longer than the fall. The SCUE plan is a positive step in a direction the University needs and can take. Extra reading days will enable students to fully prepare for finals, and lengthening the fall semester will make it easier for professors to teach and students to learn a course's material. Students and professors probably won't be thrilled at the prospect of shortening their summer break in order to fit more days into the fall semester. But when December rolls around, they'll be happy to discover that there may not be enough hours in a day, but at least there's more days.