Excerpt from Public Humanities Blog Post
Time’s Up!: Why We Should Stop Assigning Timed Essays
When it came to timed essays, Alexander* always felt that he could never study enough.
“No matter how fast I wrote or how I prepared, I would run out of time,” said Alexander. “I was rarely able to finish an in-class essay, and I felt like a failure.”
Things changed when a professor allowed Alexander to finish a timed essay in his office.
“Those extra 20 minutes made such a big difference in my confidence and GPA.”
After that experience, Alexander went to a doctor and was diagnosed with ADHD. He was able to secure an extended time accommodation and finish all of his essays for the first time in his collegiate career.
Although accommodations are effective, the road to getting them is not easy. Applying for accommodations at a collegiate level often requires time and money. To receive extended time, students need to see a psychologist, undergo testing, and provide written documentation to a regulating body on campus (e.g., the Disabled Students Program at the University of California, Santa Barbara).
Navigating this bureaucratic process can prove difficult, and if students do not have access to adequate health care or money, they may not get the accommodations that they need. Scholastic success will become less accessible to them.
As an educator, I wonder if the benefits of timed essays outweigh their potential inaccessibility.
*Name changed to protect privacy. I received permission from Alexander to use his words for this post and for any future publications that arise from it.