At the beginning of my freshman year in college, I had no idea what “dead week” was. After asking around, I was told it was the week before finals, where teachers were not supposed to give out quizzes or major assignments or even have any regular classes. This was supposed to be the week where students were allowed time to study and prepare for finals week, but dead week is definitely not a time where things are even close to “dead.” There are so many reasons why dead week really shouldn’t be called dead week.

1. Final Projects are due

This is definitely the week where professors think it is a great idea to make all major assignments due. Now, this big assignment was probably assigned weeks ago and could have been done before dead week, but who are we kidding, that project will be done a few days before it is due, and the entire dead week we will just be stressing about turning it in.

2. Class presentations

Not only are projects due, but some professors assign class presentations during this week. Presentations are never fun. They are even worse when they are a week before finals week and worth half your grade.

3. Classes aren't canceled

Whoever told me that classes are usually canceled during dead week was a liar. During dead week, classes are still a thing. It may even be very crucial to your grade that you go, because some professors do in-class review.

4. Quizzes

As if a final wasn’t enough to stress about, professors decide to hit us with pop quizzes. The minute I was handed my first quiz during “dead week” I was convinced dead week was a myth.

5. Studying for Finals

Dead week is the time when the library starts buzzing with college students trying to study for finals. It is also the time when it begins to settle in that finals are a week away, which means we only have a week to study an entire semester’s material. How fun.

Dead week could be referring to how “dead” and exhausted college students feel during this week, but dead week is not the week to slack off. Even though finals are approaching, try to remember that we will get through this dead week and finals week together!