I’ve been assigned papers on the first day that are due on the last, or near the end anyway.

Do you really have finals just after a break? The student calls it a “final paper”. I really don’t think that was break homework .

WTH you have cruel professors. Break would imply no office hours, so no way to ask the professor any questions or clarifications between when the paper was assigned and when it was due. Unless you’re implying it was assigned sometime before break and then was due the day break was over.