Class schedules, when done correctly, are planned and organized well before the semester starts.
Some students commute an hour or more to and from classes and have chosen their schedules based on days they can drive to campus.
Many students have part-time or full-time jobs on top of memberships in clubs and sports that must be woven into going to class, along with attempts to get necessary amounts of sleep and still have some semblance of a social life.
This careful balance sets the stage for the rest of the semester.
Within the first few weeks, students try to get into some type of a routine.
Mandatory tests scheduled outside of class times can easily disrupt the balance, causing havoc for students.
Students often complain about professors not remembering that we have other classes.
While this stereotype can be untrue, demanding students take tests outside of class time, with no other options, does not take into account students' other responsibilities.
Having a class scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon, but a test at 7 p.m. on Wednesday can force students to frantically search for a cover at work.
Some students may not be able to afford the missed hours. It could come down to paying the electricity bill or taking a test.
Instructors may think that putting the dates for tests on the syllabus is adequate forewarning to any unusual scheduling.
While a date in advance on the syllabus does make planning ahead easier, it still causes problems.
Professors should schedule tests during the class times we have signed up for because those are the times that we have determined works best with our schedules.
Understandably, sometimes material must be done outside of class time.
If it is necessary for students to meet up outside of regular class times, professors should provide flexibility or multiple options for students.
Scheduling tests to fit the professor's schedule without consideration of the student's is unacceptable.
While it can be simple to forget, it is important instructors remember students have just as much difficulty juggling all the responsibilities in their schedules, and should take that into consideration when configuring test times.
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