OT - Finals Week Open Thread
It's Finals Week!
My daughter - 2026 UM Grad - is already home from North Quad. She'll be taking her final final this Friday from our house.
My son - 2023 UM Grad(!) - also has his final final on Friday. He's staying up in Ann Arbor in his apartment and will come home some time next week.
How's everyone coping during finals week? I'm surprisingly relaxed. It's been relatively smooth four years for 2023 UM Grad. The adjustment for 2026 UM Grad has been a little more bumpy...but, all in all, she's doing pretty well.
Go Blue!
December 15th, 2022 at 8:38 AM ^
My last final my senior year was on 12/23. I drove home late that night and then drove back on the 26th to enjoy a week of relaxation on campus. There is something special about the feeling you get when you've finished your last final for the semester. For a brief moment, you have zero responsibility and can truly relax.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:49 AM ^
I came to say the same thing. That palpable lifting of the pressure is something I've only ever experienced 1-2 hours after finishing the last final of a semester. I'm guessing retirement will be the next time I feel that again.
Good luck to all the students out there, savor these moments.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:45 AM ^
i haven't had a final since the 80's. i think i'll keep it that way!
kidding aside, we only have one full-time college student right now and he came home this past weekend. we celebrated his arrival, bbq'd a phat dinner, dessert, movie, etc. i think he is as glad to be home as we are to see him. he loves school (and playing football) but he misses us as much as we all miss him.
now i need to have him go cut down a Christmas tree for us so we can put it up in the house. latest we have ever been on that issue.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:26 AM ^
Glad you have the whole family together. I hope the son picks out a doozy of a tree!
December 15th, 2022 at 9:47 AM ^
there is a part of the farm that has great Christmas trees, from ankle high to 70-80' high, and everything in between. throw in back of pick-up, drive down trail back to the house and we should be good-to-go.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:40 AM ^
This calls for the Lumberjack song!
December 15th, 2022 at 11:58 AM ^
Same here - may last final was in '82.
My most memorable final was in Fluid Dynamics. Having skipped most of the homework assignments and dropping a ZERO on one of three tests, I found myself with a D before finals week. The three people with grades lower than mine dropped the class, leaving me at the bottom of the curve. I met with the Professor and he said he would give me a C in the class if I finished with an A on the final.
I left the final exam room thinking that I failed (with Fleetwood Mac's I think I'm in Trouble playing in my head) and happily went into Christmas break thinking "welp, can't change the past, but I can learn from it". I later found out that I got a 100 on the final, the professor dropped my score from the curve to help others, and he gave me an A in the class!
December 15th, 2022 at 12:18 PM ^
Nice recovery there. My ENG experiences with professors were a bit more ‘challenging’ and I didn’t get quite the love. Made dental school seem a lot easier than undergrad.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:49 AM ^
It’s nice to see that schools have made st least some adjustment in exam schedules so they don’t end so close to Christmas anymore. I remember taking exams until just a few days before. The pandemic change to have exams all done before Thanksgiving was something that should have stayed.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:05 AM ^
Clarence, Done by Thanksgiving? Wouldn’t that take out three weeks of the semester?
A quick guess is - three weeks would be 25% of the semester. At first glance, I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Our situation might be different. Our children visit home ONCE during the Fall semester - and, that’s for Thanksgiving. Both our children are at Michigan, and we attend about five football games each fall - and, we always see them when we visit - but, the duration of those visits vary.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:32 AM ^
I don’t think the exams were finished by Thanksgiving. The students just didn’t come back to campus after Thanksgiving and did the last couple weeks virtually and THEN did exams.
Unless I’m remembering that wrong???
December 15th, 2022 at 10:21 AM ^
Historian, I recall that "not returning" after Thanksgiving a couple of years ago - at many schools throughout the country. And, as you point out - the exams were completed remotely. That was during a "higher period" with respect to CV, I believe in 2020. (Our children were in high school at that time.)
Personally, I think the on campus experience is tremendous for a variety of reasons, and feel fortunate that our children weren't materially impacted by CV at college. There have been very few instances where a class or discussion section - was conducted remotely via Zoom or Teams.
December 15th, 2022 at 12:11 PM ^
To clarify, I wasn’t talking about Michigan. But yes, DONE by Thanksgiving.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
Bear in mind that you're taking the word of a gentleman who dresses up in a gorilla suit...
December 15th, 2022 at 8:50 AM ^
My daughter is finishing up this week but from IU. She will be home for the weekend. I have had fun attending the IU vs Michigan games, down in Bloomington. I look fwd to having her home for a couple of weeks.
Go Blue!
December 15th, 2022 at 8:54 AM ^
Bill, how was the drive to / from Bloomington?
First, if I may, IU is a gorgeous campus, and I hope she’s enjoying it there.
My daughter attended a swim camp there several years ago. It was a great experience - but, as I drove (we live in the Chicago area) and approached Indy, I thought - we’re almost there, which isn’t true.
Enjoy the Holidays…
December 15th, 2022 at 8:59 AM ^
The drive is about 3hrs from where I live in Fort Wayne, but it is longer on game day as it gets crowded. Yes, I must admit IU campus is very pretty. My daughter has really enjoyed her time there.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:57 AM ^
Baldbill, I highly recommend taking a side trip to Columbus, IN, the next time you go to Bloomington…if you are at all interested in mid-century modern architecture and design.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:00 AM ^
I have been to Columbus, IN a few times over the years as my son played travel Hockey. We had a few games there. He also had a number of practices there for one travel team. It was a nice looking place.
December 15th, 2022 at 8:59 AM ^
1989,
My two in Ann Arbor seem to be doing well. There’s some stress, as usual, but - they have been doing well academically - and the gridiron success of the team has made their Saturdays this fall / semester even more enjoyable.
Their finals wrap up today - Thursday, and they will be on the train on Friday to return home for the Holidays.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:02 AM ^
excited. son is coming home for Christmas from Univ. of Utah. he's a grad student at the medical school (biochem)
December 15th, 2022 at 9:08 AM ^
Last final in just over an hour at 10:30 this morning!
December 15th, 2022 at 9:15 AM ^
NJ, good luck…
December 15th, 2022 at 9:13 AM ^
I learned later in my college career to routinely review class info to keep it fresh in my mind so not to make finals so stressful. I also made sure I knew my TAs and professors. That helped me tremendously as sometimes they would voluntarily let me know what to expect during the final. I now counsel anyone going to college to do the same even though I know many are averse to doing so because it takes a level of commitment and time management many young people might not have at this point in their life.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:29 AM ^
Great advice, Mr. Dastardly. That's the same thing I tell my students at the beginning of every semester. Set aside an hour or two the day before each class and just go over your notes to keep everything fresh in your head. Way easier than trying to cram at the end of the semester. Unfortunately, few listen to my advice.
I also go the whole semester with only one or two students coming to my office hours, until finals week that is...
December 15th, 2022 at 10:10 AM ^
I give credit to the best professor I had while at Michigan: Richard Lawton.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:30 AM ^
Blue (and Dastardly),
If there's one thing that I strongly encourage both my children, and their friends / classmates, to do while at Michigan is - "take advantage of everything the University has to offer."
The level of advanced thinking - research - and culture is, IMO, truly exceptional. It's not unique to Michigan; practically every college / university provides opportunities for students to grow, learn, and take advantage of the breadth of creativity, insight, and knowledge.
What does this mean? How can it be applied? As you point out - I suggest meeting all of their instructors early in the semester - even if for five or ten minutes during office hours to "say hello, introduce themselves, and learn about what the instructor does - where their interest is - their research - etc." And, from a social perspective - "take a break" from academics - and, see a theatrical production - in the case of Michigan, it could be at the Mendelsohn Theatre or Power Center. Or, visit the Museum of Art or take the bus to north campus for a Music student's recital. Then, there are "very easy" things to do - take a look at some of the exhibits throughout the campus - at Hatcher or another building.
My wish for every student, at every college / university is to take advantage of everything their institution offers - in appropriate moderation, of course.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:30 AM ^
Back in my student days, the best thing about finals week was selling back my books and then promptly spending all that sweet, sweet cash at the bar.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
Yep, we didn't have it easy like the kids do today. Had to make our own paper for blue books, fabricate our own pencils and take exams outside in snowstorms at midnight.
Your parents let you keep the money from selling the books? Nice life that.
December 15th, 2022 at 12:14 PM ^
I paid for those books (kind of, I guess I'm actually still paying) so there's no way I was going to hand over that money. Especially when the bars were offering $2 pitchers.
December 15th, 2022 at 2:46 PM ^
That and beer always tasted better after the last exam of the semester.
December 15th, 2022 at 2:54 PM ^
I confess that I may have had beers during the last final of many semesters. Usually waited until comfortably through the test, reach down to cooler, open, sip, answer Q, repeat until done…
December 15th, 2022 at 2:51 PM ^
You forgot the hail of .50 cal machine gun fire, intermixed with packs of rabid wolves. And that was just for the mid-term
December 15th, 2022 at 11:35 AM ^
Not sure when your days were but I seem to recall my days would go like
Buy $300 text book (sometimes written by the classes prof. New edition every other year for no good reason. No conflict of interest there...)
Go back to bookstore with book in like new condition
Offered $40 for buy back
Book re-listed as 'used' for $150
One of the biggest rackets I've ever been a part of
December 15th, 2022 at 12:03 PM ^
This exactly. I feel like I would spend over $1k per semester on books in law school only to get maybe $100-$200 back at the end.
December 15th, 2022 at 9:36 AM ^
This post reminds me of the lousy college dream that I still occasionally have, where there are a couple of difficult classes on my schedule that I've forgotten about for weeks and are necessary for graduation.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:49 AM ^
Mine is a high school dream where I go to clean out my locker at the end of the school year and find a text book for a class I forgot to attend all year.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:53 AM ^
The teacher/professor corollary to this: It's finals week and your principal/dean kindly informs you that your continued employment is dependent on every student passing one specific class, which, of course, is one that you didn't know had been assigned to you and therefore you have not taught at all the entire semester. I've even had some variation on this dream a couple times since I retired from teaching high school mathematics a year and a half ago!
December 15th, 2022 at 9:40 AM ^
I went to Michigan in the 70's and have no recollection of being stressed out about taking finals. There are many possible reasons for this. Good Luck, young'uns, it's a different world you're competing in that the one I staggered out into in 1978.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:07 AM ^
About to take my penultimate final as a UM student. I'll be walking on Sunday. Weirdly, my last final will be the day afterward, on Monday
December 15th, 2022 at 11:37 AM ^
I remember it was almost a surreal experience to walk out of my last final exam knowing it was over and I'd made it. Probably the biggest sense of accomplishment I've ever felt
December 15th, 2022 at 10:08 AM ^
We've had a lot of challenges getting thru high school and navigating the mental health issues exacerbated by the COVID era. I'm so proud of my daughter for continuing to battle and slay her dragons. First semester exams are are another milepost in the journey.
We had a calculator hit the wall the other day during study days. Brought back memories of the old days. Even got a smile out of the young'un when I showed her the Cool Hand Luke gif "that's the way it wants it...that's the way it gets it".
December 15th, 2022 at 10:29 AM ^
My daughter UM 25’ flies back in tonight after her afternoon final and we get her back for a few weeks. Tonight is the fun airport ride… in a few weeks not so fun.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:31 AM ^
gweb, my children are also UM '25 - and wrapping up finals today. Have a fantastic drive with your daughter and enjoy the next few weeks.
December 15th, 2022 at 10:47 AM ^
Have to love those few weeks of bliss before winter semester starts. Michigan’s annual Christmas present to Ann Arbor.
December 15th, 2022 at 11:01 AM ^
My approach to finals, many years ago, was to keep up with the material all semester, then knock off all caffeine and alcohol a couple weeks prior to exams. Then, during finals week I would get extra sleep while my peers were cramming all night. I'd go into each exam awake, alert, and clear-headed and perform as well or better than expected. My friends loathed me that week.
December 15th, 2022 at 11:29 AM ^
Man I do not miss those days. Undergrad at Michigan was so stressful. Now I have free time and I get paid. Much better
December 15th, 2022 at 12:13 PM ^
Son finished last final yesterday and stayed the night to hang out with friends. Sounds like a successful first semester. Looking forward to having him and our others home for the holidays. Was up there last week to take him to dinner (at Frita Batidos - awesome). Asked if he was happy with his decision to go to Michigan. I know some kids struggle with academics or socially. He loves it so far which makes me feel pretty good for him.
December 15th, 2022 at 12:21 PM ^
2002 UofM grad and I am grading finals this week! Not at UofM though.
December 15th, 2022 at 12:48 PM ^
Final 1L final tomorrow. Been watching highlights from this season to held provide motivation.