Students raise concerns about midterm exam policies

As final exams approach, the University is accepting requests from students to alter their exam schedules due to conflicting tests. Now, students are calling the University to handle midterm rescheduling like final exam schedule changes in light of mental health concerns.

UNC first-year and neuroscience major Narjis Turabi had four STEM midterm assessments within a day, three of which occurred within 12 hours. 

“Just having all of those midterms close together was really stressful,” Turabi said.

Students with two scheduled final exams at the same time or three that start within a 24-hour period may request an exam excuse from UNC Advising, according to its website. This applies to students whose primary major is in the College of Arts & Sciences. This process does not apply to midterms or exams that take place outside of the final exam period, UNC Media Relations wrote in an email statement to The Daily Tar Heel. Faculty retain the discretion to give students academic adjustments, they wrote.

Turabi said that the final exam excuse process should apply to midterms because they often carry significant weight in a student's final grade. 

She said she reached out to her biology professor, along with her anatomy and physiology professor, asking to take the assessments at alternate times. Both professors said they couldn’t help her and encouraged her to get a "good night’s sleep" instead.

Turabi’s biology class had a midterm makeup session about a week after her other exams, but her professor told her she didn’t qualify. 

Due to the chemistry department’s standardized midterm schedule, she said she didn’t reach out to her chemistry professors to request accommodations. 

In an email to The DTH, Biology Department Chair Bob Duronio said he was unavailable to comment on midterm accommodations. 

Chemistry Department Chair James Cahoon also declined an interview, but provided an email statement on final exam scheduling. The DTH followed up with multiple requests for comment on midterm accommodations, but Cahoon did not respond by the time of publication.

Turabi said she eventually emailed the Dean of Students Office to get help. She said she set up a virtual Zoom appointment with a case manager, who she says did not show up.

Turabi said she received an email the next day explaining that the appointment was scheduled accidentally. She said the DOS office said they could not change her midterm schedule and advised her to "have a really good breakfast." 

Media Relations wrote that the DOS office meets with students trying to navigate these non-final exam scheduling challenges, but cannot require a professor to adjust their assessment schedule.

Turabi’s chemistry lab partner, Allie Vanderbroek, had three midterms within 19 hours. Vanderbroek said she reached out to her chemistry lab instructor to request a different midterm time but was denied.

Vanderbroek said she did not reach out to the DOS office for help, saying she felt she would be met with the same dismissal as Turabi.

“I felt like the people around me could tell and I was just really in my head for that entire week leading up to it,” Vanderbroek said.

Turabi said she studied for 14 to 18 hours daily for the week of her midterms and spent the entire night beforehand writing equations on a whiteboard, she said.

“I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy,” she said.

Turabi said she prioritized some exams over others. She said if her biology professor, for example, had given her even a day’s extension, she would have been able to perform much better.

“But, I don't think that it should be normal for someone to have to do that,” she said.

Turabi said she believes her professors and those at the DOS office had good intentions. She said she was able to manage the stress of the tight midterm schedule, but believes many other students would not be able to do the same.

She said mental health concerns at UNC largely stem from academic pressure and that administration could do more to mitigate this by targeting situations like dense midterm schedules.

Vanderbroek said she didn’t pay much mind to her mental health until she had to take three midterms so close together. After her requests for accommodations were dismissed, she said she recognized academic stress was an issue at the University.

“I think that in my scenario, specifically, there was a better way to handle that than tell me to have a better breakfast,” Turabi said.

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