A “˜hell week’ is a week in which limits are tested and minds are stretched to the breaking point. For some students, hell week is the week of midterms or finals. For others, hell week is every other week. We asked Trinity students to describe their hell week in this week’s sidewalk symposium.
Daniel Bomer, senior, computer science and geosciences double major:
“It’s just basically working all the time “” all day, everyday, including the weekends. All the time. So, I barely have time to sleep or eat or any of that.”
Michael White, junior, accounting major:
“First semester exams of sophomore year. It was the hardest load I’ve taken so far, besides this year, which will probably be worse. It was pretty stressful: lack of sleep, super tired all the time, didn’t eat that much.”
Camila Acosta, sophomore, international studies major:
“So, every other week basically. Last week was really interesting. I had a test in Oceanography coming up, and even though I had done all the readings and been to every class and paid attention, I still didn’t understand what was going on. So last week was pretty hellish, because I was trying to prepare for the class while still preparing for a presentation, and then doing all my other homework, and then I also had a test on Monday to study for.”
Alvaro Marquez, junior, engineering science major:
“My hell week was last week. I had one presentation, two lab responses and three exams back-to-back, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. By the final one, I was dead, man. I think I slept maybe three hours total the last two nights. On the last night, it was 3:30 a.m. by the time I was ready to go to bed. It was for Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, Electric Circuits and Calculus III. I thought that when people said “˜hell week,’ that they were referring to finals, but I feel like it’s every week. And even over the weekend, Friday is too close to Monday.”
The character-building experience of hell week isn’t limited to students, though.
Jack Leifer, associate professor of engineering science:
“This semester, I’m teaching first-year design and senior design. I also serve as an expert witness for attorneys and often appear in court to talk about the relationship between force and damage in automobile collisions. So, my idea of a hell week is one in which I have three trials scheduled simultaneously that also conflict with classes.”
