Who remembers all the way back to those first few days of classes? If we all strain our brains and wrinkle our foreheads enough, I'm confident we'll be able to conjure up some memories. Like how the campus was still drenched in those last golden rays of summer. How laughter and pleasant conversation rang through the halls. Or how students walked to class with a spring in their step, fueled by an insatiable hunger for knowledge. Those are the days fondly referred to as "syllabus week," when, reunited with friends and happily released into total freedom, students eagerly anticipate a semester of engaging classes and plenty of free time.
Unfortunately, at this point syllabus week is such a distant memory that it could easily be mistaken for a piece of complete fiction. Now, Jumbos clutch their jackets tight against the first cold front of the year, muffled sobs and regretful lamentations echo through Tisch and it is with heavy hearts that students drag themselves to class (if at all). Free time is not just scarce but extinct. And, suffice to say, many students' burn to learn (ha, ha) has been dampened, if not totally extinguished.
One of Tufts' (many) peculiarities is its penchant for a midterm season, rather than a midterm week. That is, there is no overlying schedule for class structure. Courses can be designed with one midterm, two midterms, three big exams or basket-weaving competitions every other Thursday - it's really left up to the professor's discretion. This results in a drawn-out midterm season rather than a midterm week, which is somewhat like slowly removing a band-aid instead of ripping it off and exactly like being stabbed 50 times ?? la Julius Caesar instead of a nice, quick decapitation.
Although a little counterintuitive, midterm season is, in many ways, worse than finals week. And I'm not just talking about the obvious fact that our torture is prolonged several extra weeks. During finals week, it becomes not only socially acceptable but is, in fact, expected that we forego irritating, time-consuming things society normally requires of us, like changing out of pajamas, brushing our hair or applying deodorant.
But these time-saving (although, admittedly, less-than-sanitary) habits are frowned upon during midterms season, since it is so much longer. Objectively, I suppose this is a good thing, or else we'd spend the vast majority of each semester as a very unattractive, slightly smelly student body. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.
Another feature of finals week that we miss out on during midterms season is the feeling of commiseration. Whoever said "misery loves company" has never spoken truer. Instead of being able to assume that everyone else is as miserable and cranky as you are, during midterm season you have to put up with your cheery friends who just finished two exams and have two weeks free, whereas you've got three in the next two days. There's also the added hassle of having to ask, "so what's this week like for you?" upon meeting someone for Monday lunch; this is a question carefully designed to assess your friend's mental state and therefore the quality of the conversation you're about to enjoy (or regret).
This has been lovely and all - really, it has - but midterm season is upon us, so I'll just go stick my head back in my Orgo textbook, where it's been glued all semester. See you in November!
Lex Erath is a sophomore who has not yet declared a major. She can be reached at Alexandra.Erath@tufts.edu.
