tuftsdaily.com
Opinion
13 Monday, December 6, 2021
EDITORIAL
A one-day reading period is unacceptable As the semester nears completion, the anxiety provoked by yet another semester of masking, COVID-19 cases and general uncertainty will grow exponentially. In 2019, we published an editorial that asked Tufts to extend the reading period beyond just three days. In hindsight, three days sounds luxurious; fall semesters at Tufts tend to only have a two-day reading period, and this semester is ending with a disconcerting one-day reading period. What used to be at least a two-day window for students to organize, study and prepare for final exams is now a single day off from classes. There could be multiple reasons for this. As Tufts generally begins classes after Labor Day, a late Labor Day this year forced final exams
to end on Dec. 23 — just one day before Christmas Eve — and possibly impacted the reading period. Additionally, the university delayed the start of classes to accommodate Rosh Hashanah, causing classes to begin on Sept. 8. The last two times classes began this late were in fall 2020 and fall 2015, but these semesters were designed such that the single day of reading period fell on a Monday, providing a threeday cushion between the end of classes and the beginning of exams. This semester, the cushion is only one day, the shortest at least since 2009, which is the earliest year the Tufts academic calendar extends back to. Tufts stands out among its peer institutions in giving students the least amount of free time to prepare for final exams.
This semester, Bowdoin and Wesleyan are giving students a four-day reading period, Brown is giving students a five-day reading period and Harvard is giving students a six-day reading period. Princeton’s reading period is eight days long. Yet Tufts students have only a single day to transition from a semester’s worth of classes to challenging final exams. The reading period is a valuable resource for students as they enter the most stressful and highstakes part of the semester. Of course, it allows students to perform better on exams and work on final papers. The packed corridors of the library, the bustling atrium in the SEC and the line at The Sink depict the stress of students. After such a long semester, students need time to prepare for
exams — only a break between classes and final exams can provide that. One day is simply not enough to review nearly 14 weeks worth of rigorous course material for four to six classes. The benefits of extending the reading period go beyond raising GPAs. The reading period also provides students with time to recoup their mental health; this is something regularly needed following a grueling semester, especially since the pandemic has had an adverse effect on college students’ mental health nationwide. In the past two years, students have noted a general feeling of burnout, resulting in calls for rest and more time off that have gone unanswered. Further, the reading period provides a time for Tufts students to reconnect with friends and
de-stress. It is during this time that many clubs, sports teams, fraternities and sororities hold bonding events, formals or endof-year performances at night. This period traditionally fosters community, as, after a long day of studying, students can get together before exams to bond one last time before the end of the semester. The benefits of the reading period are immense, from improving academic performance and mental health to promoting community bonding before the final, most stressful period of the year. Tufts should follow its peer institutions by extending the reading period and ensuring that a measly one-day break between classes and exams does not happen again, regardless of how the calendar falls.
VIEWPOINT
A love letter to Hodgdon by Idil Kolabas Staff Writer
“Günaydın!” The first words I hear in the morning are my roommates saying, “Good morning,” to me in Turkish. The moment I open my eyes, I speak in my native language to my American friends, still not processing that I am not in Turkey anymore. I come to my senses a few seconds later and switch back to English, laughing about it together with them.
I get dressed and walk through the hallway, rushing to my class, as a floormate yells, “I love your pants,” putting a smile on my face. I check the whiteboards hanging on the doors of my neighbors’ rooms: “Write something positive for someone else.” One response says, “You are loved.” I can feel it. Going down the staircase, I see a group of my guy friends leaving to get breakfast together. We make plans for the weekend on our way out and I dash out of Hodgdon, still trying to make it to class, even
if not on time. I get to class with a smile on my face even though I was five minutes late, trying to at least look like I rushed. After my classes end, I get to my floor and check the whiteboards once again. I remember the first week when everyone on this floor was a stranger to me. I remember seeing that I was not alone as an international student after reading the list of countries showing where my floormates were from: Honduras, India, Hong Kong, United States, Canada, Nigeria, Lebanon and so on.
I now see the communal bathroom not as a downside of dorm life but as an opportunity to have a conversation with a friend while carrying out my nightly routine. I now see the space in front of the storage room as a kind of nook where I can chat with my floormates until the morning hours. I now see that everything is different from how I saw it the first time I set eyes on Hodgdon Hall. I love waking up to Post-it notes filled with encouragement, happiness and well wishes on my
birthday. I love getting fresh air with my dormmate in the middle of the night. I love having Sunday brunch that lasts the entire day with my dorm hall neighbor. I love saying “İyi geceler” just before I go to sleep, and I love that my roommates say “İyi geceler” back to me. Being 7,758 kilometers, or 4,821 miles, away from Istanbul, I did not think I could feel this at home when I was applying to Tufts. I love you, Hodgdon. And yes, this is a love letter to you.
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