Just like last semester, we as students have faced many challenges attending school during the pandemic. Taking classes from home is incredibly difficult. With the stress of the pandemic, the election, and the move online this semester, it is important for UPenn to support its undergraduate students however they can. 

Taking classes from home, many students find themselves learning the material in their courses essentially alone. We face a semester with no study groups to support us and many of us without the social connections we rely on for our mental health. I have found it more difficult to keep up with lectures and work than ever before. Making the pass/fail decision so early in the semester is difficult when it has been so easy to fall behind. 

As we near the pass/fail deadline this semester, I find myself wishing I had more time. Last semester we had up until reading days to decide, and even that didn't feel like enough. UPenn cannot provide us with proper exam environments, so the exams are entirely unpredictable. If your family also has to work in the same space you may not have any quiet desk space to take exams. I personally have had my parents interrupt me during exams. 

I believe the pass/fail deadline should be extended to the end of the semester to relieve some of the pressures of online school. This is a kindness we can all benefit from, and one that UPenn can easily provide. To protect the mental health of students, please extend this deadline. Thank you.