Face it, I Never Actually Learned this Stuff

I read an interesting article in The Breeze earlier today. It was talking about finals, and student's reactions to them. There was one part in it that actually made me laugh out loud, a dangerous feat to attempt while sitting in a dorm that is currently under "23 hour Quiet Hours."

Part of the article's argument was that the only reason professors give finals is to torture their students for one last week before they get let loose for the summer. It included something about them being jealous of the student's youth and vigor (after all, who wouldn't be jealous of someone who can party the entire night, and then still show up to class hungover with their paper written... please note the sarcasm there). While I do partially buy into the torturing the students argument, I really do believe that finals have some importance. Mind you, I'm writing this when I technically should be studying for the 8 AM history final I have tomorrow morning, but that's another story.

All too often it seems that students who get to go to college begin to feel entitled to a good grade. They feel that just because they show up for class and are barely attentive they deserve a passing grade for the course. However, I feel that finals are a good way of separating those who care about their grade from those who don't, though I'd believe that task can get a little difficult during the one week every kid wants to just go home. Like several of my professors said, the final can be used to bump you [the student] up that one letter grade that you need. It can be the ultimate deciding factor over whether you get D or a C, an A or a B.

So, while you're sitting there, cursing all your professors under your breath as you cram for that Chemistry final, remember that while they seem stupid at the moment, these mind-raping, soul-killing, hope-withering tests are actually useful. Maybe it'll give you the extra oomph to study more to get that A you know you can earn.