For the Baruch College fall 2025 semester, the last day of finals week lands on Dec. 22, a later end compared to previous years. 

According to the Baruch academic calendar archive, finals ended on Dec. 21 in the past four years, and the last day of classes was on Dec. 15. It raises questions as to why the fall semester ends later. 

Whether students celebrate the holidays or not, they should not be required to take their final exams on the same week as the holidays. Even though it was pushed by only one day from its typical date, CUNY students who are out-of-state residents, including international students, as well as in-state residents are all severely affected by finals falling on the same week as the holiday season. 

Now, not only do they have to worry about final exams and assignments, but they must also worry about a final exam schedule that potentially conflicts with their holiday plans. 

The solution would be for CUNY to start earlier to avoid having finals at a later date. Most students won’t mind starting earlier if it avoids the stress of finals being the near the end of December. Classes should start a week early so that the semester ends a week early, giving enough time for students to enjoy the holidays.

This is a stark contrast with other schools such as New York University. NYU students’ last day of finals is on Dec. 19, giving students time to travel or spend time with their families. Even though NYU’s fall semester begins on Sep. 2, later than Baruch, their students’ final exams do not fall on the same week as the holidays.

The fall semester should start mid-August at the beginning of the week so that students can enjoy their well-deserved end-of-the-semester break.