Why Are There Finals?

The presence of dead week and finals week at the end of 14 weeks of classes rapidly drains the majority of the semester of its enjoyment. Final exams should be just simply be "another test" during the semester. Perhaps it will be comprehensive while prior exams were not, but it should not be an object of intense preparation--at least in comparison to the rest of the semester's evaluations. A week set aside strictly for testing purposes, while logical in some ways, is detrimental in others. Yes, there is "more time" available to study for each exam, but one is so burnt out by the first week of December that the prospect of one more week on the campus with nothing to do except study is not attractive. The so-called "dead week" preceding finals week is a misnomer for a week that is at times even busier than the the one following! The purpose of dead week is for students to have a break from exams, tests, quizzes, and other graded materials in preparation for their finals. However, instructors may still offer a test during that week if he has the unanimous consent of the class--which students usually give without hesitation.
Finals week should be done away with, and final exams should be administered as a part of the courses' final class meeting, that way there is review and interaction with the subject matter right up to the test, and it is not a massive, comprehensive monster that requires days of studying and stressing for it alone, notwithstanding the four other courses a student is likely enrolled in at the same time. For some, not attending class and having time to strictly study one subject or another may be helpful, but for the majority, there is actually too much free time before the tests, causing either profuse procrastination or staggering stress.