On Irresponsible University Scheduling Practices
By Sam Klein, Deputy Multimedia Editor
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. ‘Tis the season when every NYU student decides that, in their words, “locking [one]self in Bobst” is the key to success. True to the finals spirit, my roommates all have exams which they’ll be studying for in the coming weeks. One of them is pre-med, so he will probably be somewhere in LL2 for most of December. Meanwhile, I don’t have any exams. Sure, I have plenty of work to do, but my last paper is due Dec. 19 and everything else is done by the 14th. What am I supposed to do for all of finals week while my friends are living in Bobst? Do I just hang out by myself? What an unfair situation. Roommates, if you’re reading this, I hope you feel guilty.
On 11:59 p.m. Deadlines
By Melanie Pineda, Deputy Opinion Editor
11:59 p.m. deadlines are the bane of every college student’s existence. What’s the point of marking me an entire letter grade off just for being one minute late? Is it really going to make such a big difference in my essay that counts for half of my grade if it’s submitted 60 seconds after the deadline? Will my professor really be so inconvenienced that they’ll have to feel compelled to mark me down for the sake of their sanity? I think we all know the answer to these questions.
On How the Holiday Spirit is Elusive
By Janice Lee, Opinion Editor
The holiday season just never feels like the holiday season anymore — and my theory is that it’s because of finals. When you’re stressed about all the deadlines, exams and papers, there’s simply no room for any idyllic, jolly holiday spirit. How can I feel like Christmas is coming up when I feel like I can’t take a minute to enjoy my hot chocolate or when I don’t have the time to find gifts for my friends? It’s just unfortunate that I feel such urgency to attend to my academics and other commitments that holidays just aren’t like what they used to be growing up.
On the Frigid Weather
By Hanna Khosravi, Deputy Opinion Editor
So it seems that we’ve skipped over light, stylish coat season and catapulted straight from denim jackets into puffer jackets. I’m from California — I spent much of my freshman year learning the ropes of how to dress adequately for an East Coast winter. New boots, new coats, new (thermal) socks. And last winter, I was somewhat starry-eyed — on the day of the first snowfall in December, I thought it would be a good idea to WALK to the Rockefeller Christmas Tree from Third North and wound up huddled in the New York Public Library gift shop with shaking hands and eyeliner streaming down my cheeks. So this year I thought I’d be more ready. But today, I literally almost blew away in Washington Square Park. As in, the wind was so strong it actually made me trip on myself, and I walked into Bobst looking like a car had just run over me. But hey, maybe if we spend enough time at the Union Square Holiday Market drinking cider and eating eccentric German Christmas pastries, we can a) provide some coziness within the arrival of finals season, and b) try our absolute best to convince ourselves that this premature freeze is just a way of getting into the holiday spirit.
On the Spacing of Finals Exams
By Sakshi Venkatraman, Deputy Managing Editor
This winter, I’m staying at school an extra FIVE DAYS because I have one rogue exam on Dec. 18. Most of my classes have their finals at the beginning of December, which presents a different problem of having to learn everything in a short period of time. There needs to be a rule that forces exams to be concentrated in one of these periods so I can go home or stay here and not feel like I’m wasting any time.
On the Unpredictability of New York
By Akshay Prabhushankar, Deputy Copy Chief
Imagine — because I know this is an incredibly unlikely scenario in reality — studying for weeks for a final exam, waking up on time and eating a full nutritious breakfast the day of the test. The world is at your fingertips, everything in your control. But suddenly, the subway breaks down. Or the elevators take 10 minutes. The printer jams or your M14 bus hits a parked car. Your roommate hogs the bathroom, rain soaks your essay and you forget a #2 pencil. New York has a way of reminding you who’s boss, especially at the most inconvenient times, and no amount of preparation or prayers can guarantee success. Finals are bad anywhere. But in this city, they’re entirely unconquerable.
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