The Facts:The Reading Days the University delivered for the 2009-2010 academic year were not the ones students expected. The two days each semester simply added to the length of the semester instead of replacing two days of Dead Week.

Our Opinion:The Reading Days are not as desirable as students may have liked, but they will likely be altered next year when the UNC System calendar kicks in; thus, students should take the days off and enjoy them to their fullest potential. 

The University, for the purpose of studying, has blocked off the calendar on the Monday and Tuesday of the first exam week. The “Reading Days” — in other English speaking countries studying is referred to as reading — are supposedly an opportunity for students to prepare for their examinations and transition from the academic semester to exam week.

These Reading Days were not the ones students had hoped for, and many students have complained that they should be renamed drinking or sleeping days, but they are going to occur nonetheless. Students should take advantage of the free time — what amounts to a four-day weekend — and use it to its fullest. Carpe diem if you will.

When Reading Days were discussed last year, the inclination was that the days would supplant the final two days of the farce that is Dead Week. Instead, the University tacked the days onto the end of the semester, thereby extending the misery of exam week and shortening the break leading up to the winter holidays.

Regardless of the University’s curious planning, the two days represent an opportunity for students to do as they please. For those who have a Wednesday exam, it’s a chance to enjoy your weekend and then study; for other students the days can be utilized for indulging in weaknesses or catching up on much deserved rest. If nothing else it’s an opportunity to go on the Hillsborough Hike Friday evening with the knowledge that a day-long Saturday hangover is tolerable.

Next year, the University will change over to the UNC System universal calendar and the Reading Days could be altered or eliminated altogether. Complaining about the fact that they were not as promised is nonsensical and fails to address the more pertinent issue: it’s two days off before exams.

Seize the opportunity for some personal time and make the most of Reading Days. The occasion may be short-lived; students should take them for what they are and enjoy a little piece of freedom before the rigors of exams begin.