We may soon have a fall reading week. It’s all up to Ryerson’s Senate, who will vote on the issue during a meeting on Jan.25. There are a handful of Canadian universities that have an instituted reading week in first semester, including Nipissing, York and the University of Ottawa. Ryerson could be next on that list. But while it may sound good right off the bat, there are some issues with having another week off.
PROS
Catching up made easier: It could give students the chance to catch up on work during first semester, before it’s too late. You know all those time-management and study for 30 minutes a night tips we hear? Yeah, this might help with that.
It won’t feel as long: Let’s face it, fall semester just feels super slow, even though Ryerson currently runs on a 12.6-week fall semester and a 13-week winter semester. A break in between would just feel better.
Everyone needs a mental break: First-year students who might be overwhelmed by the university experience in their first few months could have a breather if we had a fall reading week, not to mention every other stressed-out year. Whether you use it to study, relax or go back home to dear ol’ Mom, mental breaks make for happier students.
CONS
Messes up the schedule: Programs with heavy workloads could be affected by the time off, leading to tighter deadlines for students and overall headaches for professors. While you might get a week off to study for midterms, will it be helpful if you’re struggling to do regular assignments?
What about internships, co-ops and placements: Some programs such as journalism and social work demand that students do internships or placements to fulfill their course hours. Adding in a week off can make for tricky schedules and an administration mess. Do these students get a week off? That’s one question the Senate should be asking themselves.
Accreditation is key: There are specific standards that programs such as nursing and engineering need to follow, which are set by professional bodies, in order to give out degrees to students. These include a certain amount of hours of instruction. These would have to be reviewed for every program.
Should Ryerson have a fall reading week? Let us know what you think on Twitter @RUStudentLife
