First, let me be explicitly clear: Washington University is consistently great to its students. With the Circulator always shuttling students around campus and more academic resources than seemingly possible, Wash. U. really does look out for its students. And of course, no one can forget those Tempur-Pedic mattresses on every student’s bed frame. But that perpetual kindness and compassion does not mean they never falter, and they did so in regards to the scheduling of Parent and Family Weekend.

Parent and Family Weekend has been a tradition chock-full of programming for several years now. Hosted by the First Year Center (FYC), this weekend has typically attracted parents of students from all years.

Even though all this friendliness and inclusiveness should create a memorable weekend for parents and students alike, a considerable amount of parents did not come to this Parent and Weekend. While I was wondering why so many students barred their parents from visiting them on this pre-established weekend, the reasoning became clear. Everyone had the same complication: midterms.

To be clear, there is no official “midterm week.” However, the fact that this week does not bear official recognition does not lessen its significance in any regard. According to the College of Arts & Sciences Academic Calendar, fall semester midterm course grades are due on Oct. 19, the Monday after this unofficial midterm week. It does not seem to be a stretch to assume that if midterm grades were due on a Monday, the previous week would contain a barrage of midterm exams.

For instance, one of my suitemates, still battling to remain in the pre-med track, simply told his parents that they could not come for the weekend. He had the infamous organic chemistry exam on Monday and would be studying all weekend. He did study all weekend, as I am not sure I ever saw him leave his room. Another one of my friends told her parents to come the next weekend, saying that she would need all weekend to study for her psychology exam on Monday, write her paper due Tuesday and finish other assignments. A third friend of mine had so many papers and projects due that he also told his parents to just not come. As far as I know, he will not see them until Thanksgiving.

My own workload was not to be forgotten. Despite my best efforts to get all the work done the week before, I found myself scrambling to cram in a little extra studying whenever I had a moment away from my parents. In total, I had five exams, reports or papers due between Sunday night and Thursday morning. Therefore, whenever I was with my parents I was conflicted. On one hand, I desperately needed to get some of my work done, but on the other hand, my parents had flown across the country to visit me, and not spending time with them would be inexcusably rude. While my workload was manageable, because I had worked so hard to stay on top of things, I can only fear how many other students could not enjoy their weekends with their parents, assuming their parents even came.

Still, the fault for this poor timing cannot be assigned to any single person or group. As stated earlier, the FYC has full authority over Parent and Family Weekend, including its scheduling. Alternatively, the official Arts & Sciences Academic Calendar determines the date of the release of midterm grades. Both of these calendars are set years in advance, with academic calendars available online stretching all the way until 2018-19.

Unfortunately, there is no indication of when midterm grades will be due next year. Additionally, next year, fall break will provide no school on a Monday and Tuesday, making it impossible to extrapolate when the unofficial midterm week will be. However, Parent and Family Weekend has been moved two weeks later to Oct. 28-30, so it seems safe to say that next year, the weekend will not interfere with midterms.

Ultimately though, the FYC is trying to boil the ocean in looking for an ideal weekend. Instead of trying to juggle frenzied midterm studying with the arrival of parents, the next Parent and Family Weekend will entail juggling parents with the inevitable partying of Halloween weekend.