Finals, Finals, Finals
I’d argue that finals week at DePaul is much different than at semester schools because of our quarter system. We only have 10 weeks for our classes, so the finals are either an overload of work or not too bad. Because our quarter system is so short, we sometimes will not have a midterm, so your final will be based on all ten weeks of work. I get it, it can be overwhelming. As long as you keep a cool head, you can get through it!
At DePaul, there are three different types of classes in terms of finals week. This depends on what your major is. Because I am an English major, a lot of my classes circulate around essays. That means that my final will be just an essay. Most of the time, that means I will not have to go in to class during finals week. Just like the other majors in the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, along with the School of Education and School of Communication (generally), we will have our essays due the last day of the quarter. We have a lot of time, however it is a lot of work to do outside of your class to get it done. If you are like me and in all English classes, that means you have four final essays. That can be a lot of work and sometimes overwhelming.
The second kind of final at DePaul are project based. Those in the Theatre School, College of Computing and Digital Media, and the Music School will all have final projects. That requires a lot of work outside of class, and usually means you have to go in during finals week in order to present your project.
The third kind of final is a final exam. If you are in the School of Business, Law, or Science & Health, there is a good chance your final will be a test. Some people prefer a test because you go into the class and then automatically will be done with your final in its entirety by the time the test is done. It just depends on your type of studying. Because you will have to attend your final during finals week, it can be stressful.
To keep your head during finals week, keep in mind that although you have so much work, you do have a lot of time if you conduct good time management. It can be stressful but, at DePaul, you will have three finals week throughout the year so you will eventually get used to the schedule. Always feel free to ask around and even ask teachers if you’re struggling with finals week because they are always accommodations. I promise you will survive your first finals week!