Well, finals season is approaching us yet again. None of us are prepared for them, but like last semester and the semester before that, we’ll somehow manage to complete them. But at what cost?

If you’ve taken part in these last 3 academic semesters, you’ll have noticed the decline in everyone’s ability to be a functioning student, employee and person. From our peers, we’ve learned that a few faculty members are choosing to be unforgiving, impatient, and flat out disrespectful when it comes to deadlines and productivity. It seems like “academic rigour” has become synonymous with “no exceptions” and the enforcement of some pretty ableist policies. If you’re someone who has the power to be a little kinder and considerate during this time, why wouldn’t you be?

If not even a pandemic can adjust the modes of productivity, then what hope is there for those of us who already struggle with functioning in a world made for able-bodied and able-minded people? We hope you keep in mind that kindness, though often absent, very much belongs in academia, and we should practice it every opportunity we can.

We don’t have very many editorials to write as the year comes to an end, but we wanted to use this one to say that as finals approach, being kind makes all the difference.