Dead week not so dead

This semester has been so bad I issued a warning to myself scrawled across my planner in bright red letters: "LOOK AT NEXT WEEK!!!". I have two papers and two exams to contend with, one after another, and I didn't want them sneaking up on me. All of that work adds up to one brutal week. Granted, not an impossible week, but my personal stress-meter is in the red nonetheless. What makes me bitter is the week I am referring to isn't finals week. It's this week. The so-called "dead week." \nAs a College of Arts and Sciences student, I'm not aware of how other schools handle the week. Perhaps business, education or journalism majors actually can relax and prepare for finals this week. But here in good ol' COAS, I think someone misinterpreted the meaning of the phrase "dead week" to mean "the week immediately preceding finals, scheduled so as to leave students utterly drained of all life."\nIf you look hard enough, you can actually find the University's policy on what it calls the "Free Week" in print. It's in the schedule of classes under "Final Examination Policies (Bloomington Faculty Council)" and it says, "The week prior to the exam period shall be free of major or final exams, except for practical tests at the end of lab periods. Paper projects may be due only if assigned well in advance."\nObviously, we students are being failed by the final sentence of the policy. It seems that many professors take advantage of that clause to assign semester projects, research papers and even regular exams during that time. Maybe professors have this mentality: "It can't hurt if only I do it." The problem is that most, if not all of them, do it. The result is that, in my case for example, dead week and finals week combine to form two solid weeks of sleep deprivation, malnutrition and eyestrain. By the time my Friday final rolls around next week, I am going to be mentally and physically exhausted. And I know that I'm not alone. I'm not even the minority. \nUndoubtedly there are professors out there who will argue that a conscientious student who doesn't procrastinate should be able to complete any assigned projects in advance and maintain a "free week" for finals preparation. I'm sorry, but I don't completely buy that argument. Papers, projects and exams more often than not cover material introduced in the days immediately preceding the due dates. In other words, I have exams this week over stuff we did in class this week. That's not my fault.\nI'd like to humbly suggest (or beg, if that will prove more effective) that the powers that be take a long hard look at IU's policies concerning dead week. I hereby move that the entire section about acceptable exceptions be removed. The rules should state that nothing can be due this week, and no tests can be given this week, period. No exceptions. Give us a true week of down time to prepare for finals week. \nIn the meantime, dead week is over. It's the weekend before finals. Can I finally start to study for them now?