The facts: This academic year is wrapping up and exams begin next Wednesday. Prior to exams, Monday and Tuesday are reading days for students.

Our opinion: These reading days have drifted away from their original purpose, and now act as free days for students to take a break before exams.

As the last week of the semester draws to a close, students welcome the four-day weekend before final exams. Typically we argue against bunching reading days back-to-back with the weekend, because of the limits it poses for students’ study habits. However, this semester we feel the better approach to the issue of reading days is not to condemn them, but praise them for the much needed break they provide in lieu of the week formally known as dead week.

Originally, dead week was meant to be five days of classes without anything due: no tests, no projects, no assignments, etc. However, the policy has been adapted so professors may assign due dates and tests on this sacred week if they state it in the syllabus. The evolution of this week has led to professors merely assigning work a week before, completely disregarding the dead week policy.

Because of the constant stress of this week, students have strayed away from the original intent of reading days and used them as mental health days-whatever that may mean.

The way students deal with these four days of freedom is completely up to them. For some students it’s taking a break and relaxing, to others it is banging away in the library studying for copious exams. Whichever the case may be, students will treat these the way they want-and they should.

Students need to utilize this nice break before the stress of finals. Since the University is not planning on changing the reading days, students should take advantage of them. Take the time to recharge your batteries and prepare yourself mentally for your tests.