Dead week, or hell week, is US slang for the week before college and universityfinal examinations. The week is often characterized by heightened test anxiety, students working to overcome procrastinating their test preparation or writing term papers. This can lead to sleep deprivation, irritability, and vomiting. There are often all-night studying sessions, and greater use of stimulants like coffee, caffeine tablets, energy drinks, adderall, or other prescription amphetamines. Many campus dormitories or residence halls require near silence for most of the day during the week before finals. There may also be a moratorium on paper assignments, exams, and student organizational activities during dead week. Libraries may also be open for extended hours, or might stay available all night. Similar events are revision week in the UK, and swotvac in Australia. Hell week is used in many similar educational contexts, such as police or military training.
Yelling tradition
Many schools have a tradition, known by various names, where students open their doors and windows and scream as loudly as they can on one or all nights of this week.
Examples
Iowa State University — Dead Week has become an official University-recognized event. Student organizations are not allowed to meet. There are 23/7 mandatory quiet hours in the student dormitories
Yale University — The Pundits, a nominally anonymous student group, organizes a naked runthrough Bass Library, where many students study for their exams. The event is usually around midnight and the runners hand out candy to the crowd.
Stanford University — Students engage in the "primal scream" at midnight every night of Dead Week. Professors are banned from assigning additional homework and may not cover new material. The university bans all on-campus parties during dead week and finals week.
Cornell University — Students scream as loudly as possible out of their windows at midnight the night before the first day of finals. This is known as the midnight scream.
Columbia University — Students open their windows at midnight and scream as loudly as possible on the Sunday of finals week each semester, popularly known as the Primal Scream. The tradition helps students release their pent up stress and anxiety about exams. At midnight the eve of the first Monday of finals, students participate in a Spring Pillow Fight.
Georgia Tech — Professors that give traditional exams may assign homework and projects during dead week, but may not assign tests, quizzes, lab reports and lab practicums. Professors that give a non traditional exam, such as a project or lab report, may give homework and the alternate exam assignment during dead week or finals week. Tests, quizzes, and additional lab reports and lab practicums are not allowed during dead week. In either case, professors cannot give any assignment besides the exam during finals week. In practice, many professors take advantage of this and assign homework and projects during dead week. On the Friday of Dead Week, freShGA hosts its annual One Night Stand. Starting at 10pm and going until 4am, students spend the Friday of Dead Week at the Campus Recreation Center for a night of sport competitions, relays, and tournaments with free food and amazing prizes. Also, Midnight Madness occurs every night during dead week and students scream to vent frustration at midnight.
Northwestern University — A tradition known as the "Primal Scream" that takes place at 9 pm on the Sunday night before finals week. The Primal Scream marks the end of reading week, a time when most classes are not in session, and the beginning of finals week.
