Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

‘I Have Midterms, Mom’

For freshmen and sophomores, Georgetown’s Parent & Family Weekend, more colloquially known as Parents’ Weekend, is an eagerly anticipated fall event. But along with the joy at seeing family members comes the unavoidable, even if welcome, commitment of days that might normally be spent studying filled to D.C. sightseeing and other family outings. For that reason, it is especially unfortunate that Parents’ Weekend overlaps with the height of midterm season.

Placing the weekend in the middle of midterm season leaves many students forced to make the decision between spending valuable time with family and spending valuable time studying for exams — for many freshmen, their first in college.

In order to make the most of Parents’ Weekend and midterm season — if that’s even possible — a reasonable solution would be to hold Parents’ Weekend slightly earlier in the year, perhaps on Columbus Day weekend.

While Columbus Day fell only one week earlier than Parents’ Weekend this year, the extra day off from classes would allow more time for both family activities and midterm preparation. And while many students do leave campus for the three-day weekend, the tradeoff between a visit home and a family trip to D.C. is less of a catch-22 than the choice between family time and studying.

A perfect solution for all is, regrettably, impossible given the reality of schoolwork and extracurriculars. But both Parents’ Weekend and midterm season will be most productive when students can give each their undivided attention.

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    SarahOct 22, 2014 at 2:16 pm

    Having it on Columbus Day weekend defeats the purpose. No one would show up because we’d all be at home. The staff who work at Georgetown have lives too. Asking them to come in on a Holiday weekend is unfair and selfish. I for one, was able to enjoy all of the events, spend time with my family, go shopping, and study for midterms. Sounds like someone on the editorial board needs to stop complaining and work on their time management skills …

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