Mt. SAC’s finals week schedule is a disservice to students preparing for the most important week of their semester. The strict finals schedule throws off students’ rhythm and causes unnecessary confusion when stress levels are at an all-time high.

There is so much pressure to succeed during finals week, it can make or break your semester based on your results. Despite knowing this, Mt. SAC throws a curveball to students by forcing a major schedule change.

For finals week, Mt. SAC changed the specific date and time of the exam for each class. For example, if your class starts at 9 a.m., your final exam will take place at 7:30 a.m.

The detailed finals week schedule is available on Mt. SAC’s website for students to review.

Adjusting to a new schedule and meticulously confirming exam dates and times adds another burden for students who have already established routines for their classes. All students should be memorizing before their finals are notes and study guide objectives – not worrying about your schedule and wondering if you’ll be able to make it to class in time.

Most students have built a rhythm with their classes and their personal lives. Instituting a set of hours that aren’t flexible enough, causes a lot of change when students should be primarily focused on studies.

The impact of this scheduling rigidity extends beyond academic concerns, affecting work times, personal services such as therapy, childcare and medical appointments and the confidence needed for a rigorous final week. Commuting students relying on public transportation face the added challenge of finding new times to prepare for class and catch their ride.

As humans, we get used to our routines and getting into a good balance with school and life is essential to success. Now that students are forced to reschedule everything, it places students offbeat and not fully locked into exams. The changed schedule alone is why there is so much stress and anxiety among students.

It is imperative for the school and classes to proactively communicate and emphasize the impending changes during the semester to adequately prepare students. If students struggle to adjust and find themselves out of rhythm, the fault lies not with them but with the scheduling demands imposed by Mt. SAC.

Mt. SAC needs to emphasize the changes on the final week as much as possible during the semester to get students ready for it.

If you have a hard time adjusting to these changes and feel out of rhythm, it’s not because of you but because of the schedule Mt. SAC is making you follow.