The Metaphor of ‘Dead Week’
Seems simple enough, right? Professors don't make new assignments, students are mostly done with school work and schedules for classes lighten up so that students can study for finals. It sounds great in theory, but 'dead week' has developed a new, metaphorical meaning since I've been in college.
Dead week is more about the physical characteristics of students and less about the amount of work students have during this week. Most students find themselves feeling like they are dead, walking around campus looking like they have just been hit by a Mack truck (dead). In fact, a lot of students want to kill someone or something during this week, making them or it very much dead.
The stress of dead week comes not from the students procrastinating; however, that is a leading cause, but more from the fact that professors do not assign homework during this week.
"Wait a minute. How can a lack of assignments lead to increased stress?"
I never said that students are lacking assignments. In fact, most students find themselves faced with many more assignments than usual. These assignments are assigned the week before 'dead week' with due dates toward the end of this fabled paradise. It's almost like professors are trying to get their last shot at the sanity of their students before the end of the semester when they will most likely never see their students in a classroom setting again.
Dead week is very much alive. For this reason, I suggest that we rename dead week to 'stress week'. That way we aren't lying to ourselves when we say that our course load will lighten up and things will become easier the week before finals…
In other news, tomorrow at 4:45pm, I pull out of Bloomington to go to Las Angeles for the weekend. I'm excited 
Until the next post…
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5 Responses to “The Metaphor of ‘Dead Week’”
David on 09 Dec 2004 at 7:37 am #
This is all true… but to be fair: There are a lot of classes that have major projects or speeches or presentations that are due to be turned in or performed during dead week. Some of these classes will not have a final (which in my mind is sometimes even a better instance then having nothing to do the week before an actual final exam). The bottom line is that it depends on the class and the professor… some are good… some are very, very EVIL!
jen on 09 Dec 2004 at 11:22 am #
‘stress week’ sounds more appropriate to me too. the only reason to call it ‘dead week’ is if you are implying that the students will be dead from it, in that case this week is aptly named.
enjoy cali!!!
Victoria on 09 Dec 2004 at 2:36 pm #
We don’t get a dead week…and professors make papers and stuff due this week and then give you a final the next week too…it sucks
Murph on 11 Dec 2004 at 12:08 am #
So tom does your “theoretical” Dead Week also prohibit Exams during it? That is the rule at Purdue, even though I had a final this week (it was open book but it is still an exam)
In the end, it is a farse
Erin on 13 Dec 2004 at 11:52 am #
…Las Vegas…?