University released final exam schedule early, allowing earlier travel booking

In an unexpected move, the Registrar’s Office released the final exam schedule via email on Aug. 21, a month earlier than last year’s announcement on Sept. 25. This change will enable students to prepare travel plans for winter break earlier, and avoid higher flight costs.

The timing of finals has long been a point of contention, highlighted during last year’s Undergraduate Student Government (USG) vice presidential debate, in which candidates discussed potential changes to the academic calendar.

“The Academics Committee has prioritized communicating to the Office of the Dean of the College that students have felt burdened by experiences where their last final exams were scheduled extremely close to major holidays during Winter Break and not knowing their final exams schedule in a timely manner to arrange travel plans,” USG Academics Chair Vivian Bui ’26 wrote to The Daily Princetonian. 

Bui also noted that releasing the exam schedule later bore a disproportionate impact on low-income, out-of-state, and international students. International students in particular have expressed a need for the exam schedule to be released earlier to accommodate travel plans. 

According to Cecily Swanson, the associate dean for academic advising, the early release is part of a broader scheme to implement a “staggered deadline schedule” for final examinations. 

“We’ve heard from students and faculty that an earlier release of the exam schedule will abet end-of-term planning, and so we were very glad to be able to roll out this change for the fall term,” she said. 

“This is something that international students have been demanding,” Mathias Hunziker ’27, an international student from Guatemala, told the ‘Prince.’ “For me, this is a very positive change, because it allows us to buy plane tickets in advance, especially in a period of time that can be very hectic.” 

Last year, Hunziker bought his tickets after the release of the exam schedule in late September, which he said created “some stress and some financial burden.”  

Klea Tryfoni ’25, an international student from Greece, also noted how international students can ease into their travels home as a result of the exam schedule’s early release.

“I usually go home for winter break … so it’s been very stressful for the past years to wait until I can book my flight.” 

However, with the early release of the exam schedule, Tryfoni was able to successfully plan out her vacation and coordinate smoothly with her family. For Tryfoni, booking tickets as soon as possible after reviewing the exam schedule is especially beneficial, given that Greece is a popular tourist destination during the winter months, a factor which can raise fares if not booked far in advance.

“It’s good that I’m able to schedule my flight back home in a timely manner,” Tryfoni said.

Domestic students have also found the early release to be more convenient, especially when scheduling trips, extracurricular activities, and personal appointments. 

“I had this conference trip that I had to take in California, and just not knowing when the exam date was and not being able to book my tickets ahead of time was a problem,” Madhalasa Iyer ’27 said. 

“It lets students know when they can fly home … when they can schedule activities, when they can study,” Sidhant Chaliha ’28, another domestic student, told the ‘Prince.’ “There’s no real reason not to release it early, or even release it earlier.” 

The notion that the early release of the final exam schedule is helpful for the general student body seems unanimous, with many international students feeling as though their concerns have been heard.

“This is something that international students [have] been talking about and wanting,” Hunziker said. “I hope the administration keeps [making] these changes that benefit all of us, and also meets the needs and demands of minorities on campus like international students.”

Sena Chang is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’

Eojin Kim is a News contributor for the ’Prince.’

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.