Finals Week

Submission 40,298

Overview

Final examination, more commonly referred to as "final exam" or "the exam," is an aptitude test given to students at the end of an academic term or a course of study for assessment of their level of knowledge in a particular subject area or field of expertise. While the schedule and duration of the tests may vary from one academic institution to another, online discussions about the dreadful experience of preparing for the final examination, also referred to as "cramming," see recurring spikes during the months of May and December every year in the United States.

Background

Online Discussions

As college and university students are often cited as some of the first adopters of the Usenet, and later, the World Wide Web, various discussions about the final examinations have been taking place online for decades through newsgroups, message boards and chatrooms.

History of Exams

The concept of holding an annual written academic aptitude test in schools can be traced back to right around the turn of the 19th century, though it remains unclear which institution first introduced the practice on a regular basis. The earliest known implementation of final examinations on record can be attributed to Harvard University's Mathematics program during the 1854 – 55 school year. By about 1870, written examinations, sometimes in conjunction with an oral component, had become a widespread practice both in the United States and Europe.

Online Presence

On May 22nd, 2012, YouTuber LifeAccordingToJimmy posted a video titled "Finals Week" (shown below), the video has received 2,161,227 views and 15,504 likes.

On April 22nd, 2013 YouTuber FenCheeks posted a video depicting the average behaviour during finals, the video has received 15,504 views and 476 likes.

Notable Examples

Advice Animals

Mom? Dad? Friends?

Mom? Dad? Friends? is an image macro series based on an illustration of a pale monster-like creature emerging from a cave and desperately calling for its family and friends. On social networking sites and discussion forums, the image macros are often used to declare one’s return to normal life after a prolonged period of isolation or preoccupation with a time-consuming activity, whether it be studying for college final exams or completing an entire game in one sitting.

You Should Be Studying

You Should Be Studying (Right Now) is an image macro series featuring photographs of celebrities who are regarded as sex symbols, and captions urging the reader to study hard. Intended to serve as a motivational poster for students, the meme has seen quite a few variations on Tumblr, especially during the months of December and May when final exams traditionally take place in primary and secondary schools.

Trying To Get My Grades Up

Trying to Get My Grades Up is a catchphrase used by high school and college students to grieve about the helpless state of their academic grades, especially towards the end of each academic semester. Online, the phrase is usually accompanied by photographs or animated GIFs depicting a variety of futile or ineffective attempts at accomplishing an infeasible goal.