After 10 weeks of papers, projects and pop quizzes, the brain needs time to rest. The school saw the logic behind this by giving us a Fall Semester break.

Unfortunately, at the time when our minds our taking the most punishment -- finals week -- we are expected to endure the most grueling portion of the semester. With only a weekend to prepare, we must take final exams. It is time for Penn State to give us a five-day reading break.

With a normal course load, students may take up to five exams during finals week. For those who seek to graduate on time, finals week may consist of seven or eight tests. These tests aren't strung out over the course of the week, either. By Wednesday night, some students have finished five or six exams.

To further add to the stress, we must remember that many finals represent 30 to 35 percent of our final grade. If we blow this one test, our chances of receiving a decent semester grade are greatly diminished. Taking one high-stakes exam is bad enough. But taking three of these tests on the second day of testing is egregious.

By giving students five days to prepare for exams, many of the problems associated with finals will be lessened. First and foremost, five days will give us ample time to thoroughly prepare for our exams. A professor once told me that the average students needs to prepare 8 to 12 hours if he or she expects to receive an A for each final exam. Using this model, a student with five exams would have to study at least 40 hours to achieve top marks. With only two full days to prepare for our tests (studying between exams normally is not efficient) students are forced to deprive themselves of sleep. This often results in restless, sloppy test taking.

Now some may say students cram because they don't study throughout the semester. What these people fail to see is that it is often difficult to find time to prepare on a daily basis. Between daily class work, student organizations and social time, it is often inconceivable to review older lessons. Penn State professors don't give breaks; they try to break us in half.

Second, a five-day break will give ill students time to recuperate and catch-up before finals week. An acquaintance told me that about 35 percent of the student population have been to University Health Center this semester. Even if that figure is an exaggeration, we all know someone who has recently suffered from an illness. By missing only one class session, a student can fall dangerously behind in his or her studies. Two or three skips can mean disaster. And if a student is still suffering from lingering effects prior to finals week, the results could be hazardous. A five-day period before finals will not only allow students to review the work we may have missed, it will also us give us time to receive treatment for illnesses which may hamper our ability to take exams.

Of course, some students may use the break not to study, but to take a final road trip before the end to the school year. If they do, so what? I encourage students to take a day or two to relax. Morale is just as important to test taking as preparation. If a student is depressed, you really can't expect him or her to focus on studies. A road trip to the beach, a shopping trip or a simple trip back home may be the perfect remedy for a stressed student.

And most of all, the final week of class is normally a waste of time. In most of my classes last semester, the final three days were spent filling out evaluations. In some cases, the evaluation form was all we accomplished during the class. Instead of wasting our time with paperwork, why not give us these day to prepare for the week ahead? Right now, I'm feeling pretty good. In about a month, I'll be stressed. It would be nice to have a break to look forward to before some of the most important tests of my life. But as of right now, I have nothing to look forward to.