Recently on MyPack Portal, students were asked to complete a survey about the current exam schedule and implemented reading days.
Although the recent reading days survey on the webpage suggested the potential for a change, Vice Chancellor Tom Stafford said the university is not planning on making any changes to the school’s exam schedule and use of reading days.
After a majority of students asked for reading days in the fall of 2009, Stafford said the university implemented two reading days, the Monday and Tuesday before exams began, and adjusted the exam schedule to fit around them.
“They were [implemented] primarily as a result of student input,” Stafford said.
By design, the reading days were meant to give students extra time to study for exams, to finish final papers, and to destress before a week of final exams.
“The students had strongly advocated for two reading days at the end of the last week of classes,” Stafford said.
Stafford said the provost used the student input but decided instead to designate the Monday and Tuesday after the last week of classes as the two reading days, and in turn pushed the exam schedule back two days.
Stafford said after establishing the reading days students had some negative feedback about them.
“There were some complaints when the students initially found out,” Stafford said.
Despite the initial disappointment from students about the reading days, they have been used since 2009 and there have been fewer complaints about them. In fact, many students are happy about the extra time they receive before final exams start.
Eilene Hansen, a senior in communications, said she prefers to have the reading days as opposed to not having them.
“I remember my freshman and sophomore years when we didn’t have them- two extra days before exams are a blessing,” Hansen said.
Hansen said it’s nice for students to get the two extra days to study because weekends are often busy and filled with other activities.
“That little extra study time is probably the reason I passed my exams junior year,” Hansen said.
Student opposition of the reading days is often because of the two days that are added to the final exam time frame. Many other schools don’t offer reading days, but provide a shorter exam period that allows students to be done earlier.
Andrew Cobb, a senior, attended N.C . State his freshman year then transferred to the University of Dayton. He said his new school doesn’t offer any reading days but he thinks they are a good idea.
“Sometimes the weekend isn’t enough time to study for exams,” Cobb said.
He said giving students the two extra days before exams start allows them to fully prepare for their different tests and ease their worries about the finality of the semester.
“Having the Monday and Tuesday to study or do whatever would reduce a lot of stress,” Cobb said.
Though many students approve of the added reading days, there is always some opposition. Vice Chancellor Stafford said all students have to be taken into consideration, and some are content while others are not.
Stafford said future change is always possible, but the University doesn’t anticipate a change for the exam schedule anytime soon.