English writing.

Well, back to the old grind.  I probably should have warned that I wasn't going to post anything for over a month, but it's too late for that.  Anyways, let's get started.  I have never been a fan of English classes.  I don't care for literature, language arts, or whatever clever name teachers can come up with to disguise it.  I understand the point of elementary English, grammar, and vocabulary, but why do I need to know how to write a comparative essay about two novels?  I can guarantee that I  will never consider doing such a thing in my free time, nor will I choose a book to read based upon said essays.  Let's get real.  Make the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary classes mandatory, but leave the writing to those who enjoy sitting in front of a computer for 8+ hours straight typing.  Most definitely not my favorite pastime.

Finals.

I've never really understood the fascination around finals.  I don't see the point in having a dedicated time for an extra long test to summarize an entire semester of class.  I feel that incremental tests along the way work just fine.  But why make such a big fuss over it?  Why not just spread it over 2 normal class periods, and not mess up someone's schedule?  Example:  Normally on any weekday, my earliest class is at 9:10am.  But on finals week, I have a Monday final at 8am, and the rest of my day is empty.  Why not just have every class meet at it's normal time and split the final between however classes it takes?