Despite the holiday season, grumbling across campus will reach an all-time high next week when the most dreaded week of the semester begins: finals week. During this week, students will attempt to regurgitate everything learned since August, while professors attempt to catch up on grading before grades are due.

For some professors, finals week is a time to test a student’s knowledge and memory skills. For others, finals week means nothing more than creating an additional unit test for the class, and some professors don’t even give a final test. While this grace from a professor to not give a final may be a blessing to the student, finals are required by the university and there is no getting around it.

Regardless of how a professor measures a student’s knowledge or mastery of the topic, professors need to either give a final project, final written exam or meet for class presentations during finals week for one reason: transferring credits.

The university is a member of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, which grants private schools like ACU the ability to transfer all of its class credits to any state school in Texas without exception.

To gain this privilege, members of the THECB must voluntarily comply with a few rules, including one that requires universities to meet for 16 weeks of classes in a semester. At ACU classes meet for 15 weeks and a final is given in the class during the 16th week.

If a professor decides not to meet for its final or to cancel its class final, the university is not complying with the rules and puts its transferring credit status in jeopardy, said Tom Winters, vice provost for the university.

Although not every student will attempt to transfer credits during their college career, for those that need to or may need to one day, it is important to attend a university has credits transferable anywhere.

So as finals week approaches, know that finals are being given for a reason.

Professors are not seeking to hurt your course grade with a final excruciating test, and the university wants nothing more than for you to graduate and pass with flying colors.

Face up to the facts that finals are here to stay. Prepare for a long week ahead and remember that when Dec. 15 ends and all pencils are laid down, you’ve just completed half your college year, and it’s nothing but tinsel-laden trees and fruitcakes for the weeks ahead.