The DCU academic calendar is on the road to change in 2020 when semester one exams will take place before the Christmas break as opposed to afterwards, according to DCU Students’ Union VP for Academic Affairs Callaghan Commons.
“The academic calendar working group is planning on moving the calendar around so that the exams will be before Christmas. If the plans go ahead we will start earlier in semester one but semester two won’t change,” Commons told DCUfm’s Newswire.
“Some students say they enjoy having the extra time after Christmas to study and others say they would prefer to have them before Christmas so that they can enjoy the break,” he said.
The idea was first brought to the SU by the academic secretary last year and has been an ongoing debate since, with members of the academic working calendar expressing varying views on the change.
DCU currently have their semester one exams after the Christmas break in early January. According to Commons, the calendar is currently the way it is to accommodate students who have placements over the break right up until week one of semester two. He said that Science, Arts and all the Education courses have placements like this so the current calendar works out for them.
The change will effect students on placement and it also means that students will only have one study week before exams. However, it will give students a study-free period over the Christmas break.
DCU and Maynooth University are the only two universities in Ireland that hold their semester one examinations after the Christmas break.
“Having exams before Christmas is much better because then you can chill out and enjoy Christmas and not be worrying about exams in January. Also, the material from the modules is much fresher in your mind,” said Hayleigh Murphy, a Sociology and Politics student in UCD.
“I have exams before Christmas and I think it’s way better. At least when you are stressed in December, you know you have a break in January. If I had exams after the break I think I would be stressed right through Christmas,” said Product Design and Technology student in UL, Jasmine Hales.
“Myself, as a science student, I saw the consequences of having only one study week and having assignments up until week 13, you would be drowned in assignments and studying at the same time so it would be quite a struggle. But, I would like to have exams before Christmas to be able to enjoy Christmas,” said Commons.
Ciara O’Loughlin
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