Opinion

Study day would improve student morale

To the Badger Herald,

I recently learned about an interesting campaign being led by the Associated Students of Madison. It would implement a study break each semester before exams to give students more time to study after classes end. I hope that the administration here gives serious consideration to this idea.

If we are given a more adequate amount of study time, we will be able to work to our full potential, and our performance will more accurately reflect our ability.

We've all learned by now that the most effective way to study for a big exam is to study smaller sections of material over a longer period of time, as opposed to staying up all night cramming before the test. Unfortunately, the current exam schedule is hardly conducive to that type of studying, and leaves us with little choice but to learn as much material in as short a time as possible.

Many other universities across the country do have study breaks before exams. That the University of Wisconsin does not puts us at an unfair disadvantage.

It is indisputable that there is a direct relationship between stress and performance in school. With more time, we can get more sleep, be less stressed and more prepared for their exams. A study break will not only improve grades, but our wellbeing too.

With extra study days before exams we could substantially improve our grades. Higher exam scores and the subsequent rise in GPAs would obviously positively affect the students, and are good for this university as well. Our achievements reflect the universities' achievements, and vice versa.

Becca Shereff Sophomore Major: Political Science and Spanish

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9 older comments

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more reasons for a study day I hadn’t even considered

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The university should just do away with final exams and give everyone a 4.0 gpa. That would really boost everyone’s moral.

What exactly does one do with a degree in Political Science and Spanish anyway? Lawyer in Barcelona? Barista of a Miami Starbucks?

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“The university should just do away with final exams and give everyone a 4.0 gpa.”

New School of Wisconsin anyone?

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Study day!!!!

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“The university should just do away with final exams and give everyone a 4.0 gpa.”

The new Harvard of the Midwest?

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11:34, everyone at Harvard is a tool. I would say only half of Madison is a tool. There’s a lot of catch-up work to do.

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“If we are given a more adequate amount of study time, we will be able to work to our full potential, and our performance will more accurately reflect our ability.”

If you’ve been doing your work throughout the semester, an extra day isn’t going to make much difference. And if you haven’t been doing your work throughout the semester, the extra day won’t help you anyway and you’ll probably just use it as an excuse to put off studying and get drunk.

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Maybe if we take our exams at the end of the summer for Spring classes and at the begining of spring for our Fall classes we’ll all have 4.0’s. - Germain E. Stemme

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The study day wouldn’t kick in until fall 2009, when 3/4 of current UW undergrads won’t be here anymore (only the freshmen would be left), so if you’re a sophomore, junior, or senior pushing for this it’s a futile effort.

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