No More Final Exams After Christmas for Harvard Undergraduates

[MSMDAD]

<p>For those of you who have not seen this, [The</a> Crimson](<a href=“http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=521562]The”>http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=521562) reported today that approval has been given for the long-awaited calendar change that will result in undergraduates no longer having to come back to campus after the Christmas/New Years holiday break for exams. This change is scheduled to take effect during the 2009-10 academic year.</p>

<p>

But the idea of moving exams before the break found substantial support among students, who argued that the current calendar harmed their mental health and created scheduling difficulties.</p>

<p>“There seems to be an overwhelming sentiment to have exams before the winter break so that students could have a real break without having exams hanging over them,” Hyman said.</p>

<p>Hyman added that by ending the school year in late May, students will not be excluded from some summer employment opportunities.</p>

<p>The new calendar came after more than four years of heated debate, beginning with the formation of the 19-member University Committee on Calendar Reform in 2003.

</p>

[Northstarmom]

<p>It makes sense to me, though I think ECs will suffer because many students devoted the bulk of their time to ECs, and would catch up on academics during the holidays. Of course, that didn’t make for a fun vacation…</p>

[fencersmother]

<p>Many years ago, Penn State used to be on a quarter system (year long, amounted to trimesters for most students). First Q ended just before Thanksgiving, Second in Feb, but “1st midterms” were the week following New Years. Impossible - ruined EVERYONE’s holiday. My one sister did not enroll there just for that reason.</p>

[Hanna]

<p>“I think ECs will suffer”</p>

<p>This is going to be a huge problem for singing groups that earn half or more of the year’s budget through Christmas gigs in December. My group has been doing New York tours in December and ski retreats during January intersession for over a decade. I don’t know what’s going to happen to those hard-won relationships with clients. :(</p>

[just_forget_me]

<p>NSM - I think that a 8 day reading period (+ lengthy exam period) should still allow for quite a bit of catch up!</p>