The Final Tragedy of Exams
April 13, 2018
Throughout the high school years, there are many major exams that stress students out. Finals are one of the more major stressors, and they are becoming more and more important for graduation. Students pull their hair out with the stress of these exams.
Why exactly do we have these exams? Well, it all comes down to the sheer fact that the teachers, district, and the state want to see the data for each student’s comprehension. They use the test scores to determine if they should improve the curricula or if the way it’s addressed should be altered. Changing these strategies and the essential curricula will allow each student to receive extra help they may need to be successful through high school and life.
When students were asked if they feel stressed about the final and midterm exams, there were some mixed feelings. Most of the students said they were stressed and worried about the percentage of the finals towards the final grades and they did not know exactly how the test will be given or what the tests contain. Others said they do not feel stressed because it all depends on how well you paid attention and how badly you want to pass.
Some students decided to provide their strategies on how they are preparing for this test. Amanda De La Torriente, a junior, said her strategy was to “take specific notes and highlight all important notes.” Even though many teachers may not be giving study guides or may just leave you in the dark on the test, taking effective notes and paying attention can always benefit and help your grade.
Most people never really plan how they will approach the test until it is in front of them. However some have planned how they will tackle them test however. Juliet Leighton, a freshman, said, “I will try to answer all of the questions I know first, then answer the difficult questions.” It is quite an effective strategy if you’re feeling stressed about the test.
Students also argue if the exams are necessary or if they are irrelevant. John Zilich, a freshman, said, “Instead of the exams, we should have the projects because then the students have time to make sure they are correct and pass the project.” So, instead of having 2 hours to do the test, students could have a longer amount of time to complete a project.
The students are not the only ones who have opinions on the exams; Mr. Larssen, an English teacher, gave his input on how he prepared his students for the exams. He said, “I offer study sessions after school, study guides, and we review pertinent information that the state and district and class cohort deem important.” He offers the most help he can so his students can pass.
Mr. Bruce, a health teacher, feels like, instead of the exams being worth 20%, at the most they should be worth 10%. When asked if these test should be given differently, he said, “No, I like the multiple choice because it gives it the average student a fair chance of passing the exam.” If given a multiple choicetest, the student can guess if they don’t know the answer, but still possibly get it right.
One of the U.S. History teachers, Mr. Jackson, said, “The project is research-based and I have given ample time, both in and out of class, to complete it.” He feels that the more time students have, they will have a better chance at passing.
Although these test seem unimportant, they are crucial to our passing, and we should take them seriously. With these tests approaching, we should study and try our best, for our future.
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Spencer Abrams • Apr 16, 2018 at 8:27 AM
I, for one, like the finals. Unlike a majority of students, tests don’t stress me out, which is a blessing and a curse. There is a lot of pressure to do well on finals, because, as detailed in your article, they are worth 20% of your overall grade. Perhaps that is a bit much, but I don’t really think so. I think exams are the most accurate way of seeing how well a student is doing in their classes. If they have the knowledge to pass a 2 hour test, then they probably got the information they should have from a class. The strategies laid out in your article could help, but I think a major part of the article that was missing was various ways to not just take exams, but to deal with the stress of test-taking. A lot of the blocks that could come during test taking could all just be psychological responses caused by stress. The student and teacher interviews were nice; I appreciate hearing how my peers take exams, but maybe codifying more strategies for test taking would improve it. All that was listed was “answer the easy questions first,” and, “take notes,” but nearly every teenager knows these. If more strategies were mentioned, even some unconventional ones, like wearing lucky clothing or putting information to songs or something. That’s the major criticism I have with this article. It’s nicely written, but it lacks focus, unless the article was just supposed to be about final exams in general, in which case I maintain it’s too general in doing so, but I do like the effort behind it. Involving peers and teachers in an article that affects both is a great idea. All in all, it’s a great article, and good luck on your exams!