Finals Week

Trying to find a quiet spot in Starbucks whilst writing microscopically small to fit all the forgotten information from Algebra 2 on a three by five note card can only mean one thing — finals week. The week everyone dreads from the moment they first walk in the main office doors on Monday morning, the last few days of school before the endless weekend, the test of every student’s physical and mental capabilities. A.K.A the worst.

These big exams at the end of each semester are completely pointless. We get tested and quizzed over each unit in each class and our knowledge of that unit reflects on our grades. I don’t know about you, but I have ways to spend my time than frantically studying a Quizlet with vocab words that I’m going to forget as soon as my test is turned in.

Trying to figure out stoichiometry again or remember the events that happened in chapter 13 in Lord of the Flies is a waste. I’ll learn all the information again for the sake of that 15% of my grade just to never speak of it again.

Therefore, I think finals should be optional. That way kids who want the chance to bump their grade up a last time are giving the opportunity. Students who are fine about their current grade could bypass the final to avoid hours of cramming and the risk their grade dropping a letter. Then we could skip the final grade calculator to see that you would need a 98% on the history final to get an A.

To keep finals an option but not a requirement is the best way to go about the last week of school. Students will get a break from studying for seven separate tests and only focus on the ones they need to. This will greatly reduce the stress buildup and anxiety that comes with the last week of school. And to all of my teachers who seem to enjoy handing me my 12 page review packet a little too much, you’re going to have to deal with my mid-class mental breakdowns this upcoming week.