Jack 戴云起

Most colleges are preparing for final week in which we all take important exams. My final economics exam counts for 45 percent of my final grade so I cannot take it lightly.

Exams are probably the biggest source of pressure on students. Those courses that do not have final exams instead have term papers that are due in the final week. Whoever you are, the final week is the busiest and most dreaded week of the entire term.

My school goes through some interesting changes in the final week. The dining hall stays open until 2 a.m. for those who want to study long into the night. The regular shows that take place in the dining hall are cancelled ahead of the final week.

The entire campus and the surrounding area are taken over by students studying. Starbucks stays open 24 hours a day including at weekends. Rooms in the library go from being half occupied to fully booked. The halls in the dorm buildings are much quieter than normal because people are busy studying.

This is an annual occurrence, but I don't think it reflects well on students. If a student has been working diligently consistently throughout the term, then the days before the final exam should be taken up by brushing up instead of mad cramming. But I regret to say, I am one of those who needs to work frantically in the final days before the exam. My roommate is an extreme example. He went to parties every night for most of the term and studied all night every night during the final week.

U.S. colleges share something in common with Chinese colleges. Most of the courses have a final exam that dictates the final grade, and students struggle a lot with it. It seems final exams are an inescapable part of life.