2008 Woodie Awards
No more Fridays in JHU's future?
Kim Irwin
Issue date: 4/15/08 Section: News
Going home. Getting ahead with schoolwork. Sleeping late. In the past, Johns Hopkins University students enjoyed the option of scheduling all of their classes on Monday through Wednesday, often leaving the freedom of a long weekend ahead of them.
But not anymore.
Johns Hopkins University has switched their class scheduling to the more customary Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday, Thursday format - the system preferred by Loyola College and many other universities around the country. Bill Conley, Dean of Enrollment and Academic Services, says there are many reasons why the change occurred.
"There was a sense that our students were 'binge learning', cramming academic work into a short time frame," Conley said.
Some students do agree with the term 'binge learning'. Sophomore Gordon Mack, a Mechanical Engineering major, believes that by having classes in the beginning of the week, students are more apt to procrastinate.
"I agree with 'binge learning' because everyone would put assignments off until Sunday night," Mack said.
Not all students agree with this "binge learning" theory, however. Some students, such as sophomore Chris Ryder, used the time to get ahead in their school work. Ryder, a Political Science major, carried a course load of five classes while making the dean's list last semester, even though he had Thursdays and Fridays off.
"Although my classes were fit into three days a week last semester," Ryder said, "that does not mean that I was sitting idle by the other days of the week. On my days off from class I continued to do work and arrange all that needed to be done for the upcoming week."
John Bader, associate dean for Academic Programs and Advising, does not believe that students should have long weekends.
"Some students would try to choose classes that just met the first part of the week. Some did this legitimately, to put research and internships together. Others wanted a long weekend, and that's not why you go to college."
But not anymore.
Johns Hopkins University has switched their class scheduling to the more customary Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday, Thursday format - the system preferred by Loyola College and many other universities around the country. Bill Conley, Dean of Enrollment and Academic Services, says there are many reasons why the change occurred.
"There was a sense that our students were 'binge learning', cramming academic work into a short time frame," Conley said.
Some students do agree with the term 'binge learning'. Sophomore Gordon Mack, a Mechanical Engineering major, believes that by having classes in the beginning of the week, students are more apt to procrastinate.
"I agree with 'binge learning' because everyone would put assignments off until Sunday night," Mack said.
Not all students agree with this "binge learning" theory, however. Some students, such as sophomore Chris Ryder, used the time to get ahead in their school work. Ryder, a Political Science major, carried a course load of five classes while making the dean's list last semester, even though he had Thursdays and Fridays off.
"Although my classes were fit into three days a week last semester," Ryder said, "that does not mean that I was sitting idle by the other days of the week. On my days off from class I continued to do work and arrange all that needed to be done for the upcoming week."
John Bader, associate dean for Academic Programs and Advising, does not believe that students should have long weekends.
"Some students would try to choose classes that just met the first part of the week. Some did this legitimately, to put research and internships together. Others wanted a long weekend, and that's not why you go to college."
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