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December 14, 2023
As the winter breeze grows and beckons the Christmas spirit to come, the students at Thomas Aquinas College are working their way through the last push of the semester: finals week. Whilst the freshmen have been busy studying Aristotle’s Categories, the juniors gather together, going through and memorizing Newton’s laws of motion, word by word. And as the sophomores dive deep into Ptolemaic astronomy and its complex planetary motions, the seniors roll up their sleeves and apply themselves to Maxwell’s theory of light and electromagnetism. The classroom boards are filled with demonstrations. The coffee shop, buzzing with energy, becomes a hive of studious activity.
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It is normal for students to be a little worried about finals; nevertheless, there is a palpable sense of excitement in the air. “We have been working very hard with propositions from Ptolemy all semester,” says New England sophomore Sam Livingston, “but it is so beautiful to see how they are all coming together in the grand scheme of things.”
The week marks the culmination of a semester’s efforts. “I think that finals week is an opportunity to take a step back and look at the semester as a whole,” says Tutor Dr. Margaret Hughes. “In the classroom, we only look at one part each day, and another part the next day. It is during finals week that we reflect back and see the connections between all those parts.” A certain thrill and wonder come as a result from seeing this order and harmony in the College’s integrated curriculum.
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One campus tradition stands out during this time: Troughout the day, individual students can be spotted walking around the campus with their Seminar tutor. This is more than just a leisurely walk! Students are taking an oral exam amidst the peaceful beauty of the campus, discussing the over-arching order of the works read during that semester.
Please pray for the College’s students as they complete their finals then make the trip home for Christmas break!
