The week before finals, also known as Dead Week, is when stress levels rocket and most of the big projects are due. Because of this, students shouldn’t receive homework so they can finish their projects and prep for their upcoming exams.

With finals for many classes making up a large percentage of students’ overall grade, who wouldn’t freak out? Students cram in one semester’s worth of studying before finals, yet some teachers pile homework on top of it all.

Homework is hard to manage on its own, so when teachers decide to give other assignments, the number of tasks becomes overwhelming.

Further, many students also have extracurriculars, such as sports and music, which only adds to their list of things to do and subtracts hours from their day, making Dead Week and finals all the more stressful.

Students are very likely to get burnt out.

Despite the added stress, it’s arguable that having homework during Dead Week is beneficial as it could help students prepare for finals. Even so, students shouldn’t have the burden of yet another due date cast upon them.

Soudabeh Zahidy, a math teacher at SCHS, decided it would be best to lay low on the homework.

“During Dead Week, we usually just do review,” Zahidy said. “It depends on how the students are dealing with the content. If they are struggling on one topic, I’ll give them review worksheets to help them improve.”

Perhaps instead of homework, teachers could give review that doesn’t have to be turned in for a grade–a study guide of sorts. Anything but a pile of due dates would do.

Homework is a stressor that most students dread, especially before finals. Students shouldn’t be given much work, but it doesn’t mean everyone gets to slack off during Dead Week. It simply means that students should study and be able to take a breather before testing.