<p>Hadn’t thought of that, Marian–professors wanting all sections to take the same test at the same time. Also, if you are taking the class online (podcasting the lectures, but taking the tests in person), you’re often a working person who works during the day.</p>
<p>I just figured that it was a way to get every last lecture into the curriculm.</p>
<p>Tufts has all of the big common classes (in this case, semesters 1-4 of most languages, the main distribution-level math courses, intro chem and physics exams all scheduled for 8:30-10:30 am blocks during exam period. Based on the chart, it looks like the exams will be administered en masse to all students enrolled in that specific course.</p>
<p>UChicago also schedules the biggies in the same manner (all German 101 at the same time), but I think they are administered by each prof.</p>
<p>CountingDown - midterms or finals?</p>
<p>Watching what my H (a math prof) does at exam time, I concur with what Marian had to say.</p>
<p>My S is a freshman at Northwestern. Yes, NU has a good sized Jewish population. Additionally, their Pres. Morton Shapiro is Jewish. So getting an extension for the Sabbath is probably not a big deal.</p>
<p>My S is taking a computer programming class that meets on M and W from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. I’ve heard no complaints from him about it. He really had no choice, since it’s required for his special program, Integrated Science Program. I know he’d prefer a Friday evening exam to a Saturday morning one, hands down.</p>
<p>My last final exam of my first term was on Saturday from 7:00 to 10:00 PM on the second week of December.
While I was still writing the exam I heard people coming out early from other exam rooms screamed out loud with joy.</p>
<p>Hi, thanks for your responses.</p>
<p>Yeah, the words “outraged” and “outrageous” were probably too strong. They were pretty upset though.</p>
<p>I probably wasn’t clear enough in my first post, so I’ll phrase things more specifically:</p>
<p>Does anyone know of other schools where MIDTERM (not final) exams are given on FRIDAY (not just any) evenings for classes that otherwise meet during the DAYTIME (not evening classes or where the recitation is in the evening)?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>What difference would it make if there were or weren’t any other schools that do this?</p>
<p>I can’t believe any PARENTS are getting upset about tests or any other academic activities at their kid’s school taking precedent over frat parties. This just sounds surreal to me.</p>
<p>“Does anyone know of other schools where MIDTERM (not final) exams are given on FRIDAY (not just any) evenings for classes that otherwise meet during the DAYTIME (not evening classes or where the recitation is in the evening)?”</p>
<p>Yes, one of my kid’s schools (a small, residential lac) allows profs to schedule their exams outside of class time. Some profs like to do it so they don’t use lecture time on assessments. Tests for morning classes have been scheduled on evenings and even Saturdays. </p>
<p>Frankly, I wasn’t too fond of it: at least once, my kid had exams (I think calc) which ended very late after being up since first thing in the morning and in lab most of the day.</p>
<p>I have to agree with those who view a Friday evening midterm as no big deal. First, as others have noted, weekend social life at night doesn’t really begin until 10 pm, so students can roll out of the exam and start their weekend. Moreover, what’s being complained of here - a Friday or 2 out of an entire semester?</p>
<p>At my daughter’s school and in her major, students typically carry 25-27 hours of classes per week for the first 3 years, classes can end at 7 pm, program related mandated responsibilities can go from 7 to 10 at night, weekends during the day are often mandated for program responsibilities and mid semester reviews as well as final reviews can often occur from 7-10 pm, often including Fridays. A midterm or 2 on a Friday evening - oh my! ;)</p>
<p>I don’t see why this is a big deal. My NU kid has had a number of midterms (and a few finals) during evening hours. The midterm exams on Friday evenings are generally done by 9 p.m., plenty of time for weekend social life (what time does your kid go out? I don’t think my son is going anywhere until later). The Gone Greek night last year that everyone was upset about started around 9 p.m., and kids who were scheduled to take the Chem exam got there in plenty of time, with the only drag being having to arrange alternate transportation there. Kids with religious commitments would be excused from taking exams on Friday evenings. This is not a matter for parents to get all worked up about.</p>
<p>Two of my kids had exams on Friday nights. One had all testing for a Chemistry class scheduled for Friday nights. All sections of the class took the tests at the same time.</p>
<p>* don’t kids frequently have some pretty significant plans for Friday nights that would conflict with an evening exam?*</p>
<p>Quelle Horreur! What were they thinking!</p>
<p>My D regularly has exams - not just mid-terms and finals - scheduled for Friday nights or Saturdays. Multiple sections are taking the same exam and it has to be scheduled that way. There is usually a different make-up exam given a day or two after for those who have very legit excuses (athletes, religious observers, or those who have just risen from their deathbeds). The hidden “advantage” in this is that kids can attend lectures by any prof teaching the course if they don’t like the one they registered for. They do have to attend their assigned recitation for quizzes, homework, etc.</p>
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<p>With the exception of valid religious reasons, I STILL don’t get it…they are spending $50k/year so their kid can have different experiences, are they not? Welcome to choices in real life; a test or attend an all important frat party??? The 'rents need a chill-pill, IMO, or choose a different college. </p>
<p>And to answer your other question, my D’s college has a Friday final scheduled at 5:00 pm this year, for a class that meets during the day. But of course, they will be done in time for “some pretty significant plans for Friday nights…”</p>
<p>Tests can be any time, even Sundays. I can’t remember either kid upset or disturbed. School comes first.</p>
<p>I don’t understand the outrage. My daughter has classes where there are several sections and they have “common exams” that are in the evening rather than during regular class time. I don’t think she has had any on friday, but if she did - so what? She also has classes that have had occasional required activities on a saturday or sunday. It may sometimes interfere with other plans she has (for instance she is president of the college chapter of habitat and had to miss the first build this year). But school comes first.</p>
<p>I don’t recall having any evening exams at Northwestern (I do remember one evening class, that met from something like 7:30 - 10 pm once a week), but H does remember evening exams, and that was 20-25 years ago, so this must not be a new development. </p>
<p>I think it’s a <em>good</em> thing about Northwestern that exams take precedence over Greek week type events. And I say that as someone who was Greek and enjoyed it.</p>
<p>Are we paying for four years of college … or for four years of partying? </p>
<p>Seems to me that the academics need to be the priority here … and the partying can happen when the academics aren’t happening. And if academics need to happen at “inconvenient” times … well, sometimes <em>life</em> happens at an inconvenient time.</p>
<p>I’d prefer the kids to get home a day or two earlier and have a dreadfully inconvenient Friday night or Sunday morning final exam.</p>
<p>Not a big deal. Not a deal of any size. They are living the sweet, sweet lives of college students and will recover from this (once a year??) inconvenience.</p>