As the final quarter of the school year looms, students are often busy working to finish the year strong before heading off to summer break. The sheer amount of tests and assessments for students tends to be overwhelming and stressful for those worrying about their grades. The last-minute tests tend to be crucial for students who are on the edge of a letter grade, such as a 79% or 89%.
As students reach the end of the school year, the amount of content that needs to be tested is often extensive. Teachers need to fit in content at the end of the year, even when summer break is on the horizon.
“Some common worries are for final grades and Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores,” Lambert sophomore Abhay Kumar explained. “There’s a lot of stuff like finals and end-of-unit tests.”
Advanced Placement (AP) exams are in May, with End-of-Course (EOC) exams at the same time. Additionally, other tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) are often administered at this time of the year. For many students, final exams are necessary to give their final grade one last boost before they leave for the summer. The amount of content on all of these tests as well as the extensive time necessary to prepare for them can be mentally taxing, often forcing students into sacrificing sleep and facing anxiety. Students face important exams all year long, but the concentration of many of these tests in a single month or two can be extremely anxiety-inducing. For 31% of students, finals and midterm weeks are the two most common sources of stress.
For seniors in particular, future plans may be more of a stressor than final exams. During college decision season, seniors wait anxiously to receive a decision on their college applications and then decide where they will attend college in the fall.
“For seniors, they stress about what college they will be attending in the fall,” Kumar said. “For athletes, they need to find a place to be recruited and commit to.”
Going from high school to college is a huge commitment and a life-altering decision. Seniors are busy applying for college in the first semester, but the final quarter is when they see their hard work pay off. College decisions are nerve wracking for seniors as their future plans are often determined by outside factors, making the process quite uncertain for many. However, the elation college acceptances can provide for students may make their work throughout the four years of high school feel worth it.
The school year brings many challenges for students, but the final quarter brings academic challenges that can seem overwhelming and scary. It is best to take a deep breath, focus on one’s mental health and to avoid pouring self-worth into exam grades. While end-of-year assessments are a necessary part of everyone’s academic journey, students should focus on taking them how they are: just a test.
