Studying. Late hours. The emotional ride. All this pays off after the feeling of accomplishment when you receive the grade that will define your transcript or show the result of your hard work.
According to Pitt News, finals aren’t just about a large percentage of your grade at the end of a semester; they also test students’ knowledge and ability to remember information throughout the course. This may be true for many, but in contrast, no timed test can accurately measure a student’s ability to retain facts, as high-pressure situations have a large impact on your mind (Glenn, 2014).
To further illustrate, student Sophie Wang (7) explains, “Finals are necessary for advanced courses such as Integrated Math [1 and 2]. Those courses are high school level, and finals are important to assess your knowledge at that level. However, I do think more resources should be provided on how to manage final stress.” Later on, she stated that she faced the consequences of rigorous studying and had to take some time off.
Adding on, as of present data taken from a survey conducted at Fallon in January 2024, about 51% of our school respondents have faced some form of emotional distress and feelings of inadequacy towards the idea of midterms and finals. A point that can be made is that more academic support should be available for the student population dealing with the emotional and physical effects of the pressure caused by finals. Fallon currently offers before and after-school tutoring for students, and counselor appointments are available to handle stress. Perhaps an additional resource Fallon could offer is after-school test prep/ tutoring on specific topics related to each final to help reduce student anxiety and stress.
Furthermore, students who provided feedback after the duration of test-taking explained, “If you’re willing to take higher level classes, then you have to be willing to do the tests, but it should be the student’s choice with classes,” stated Serephina Becerra (8), a student who has heard of the struggles others faced, as well as facing the pressure of foreign language tests herself. It is a well-known fact that as students move on to high school, they will be faced with harsh tests, midterms, or finals for almost every course they take.
In contrast, Sanaya Nilesh (7) openly stated that, “I feel like it is too much stress, especially for Fallon students who have to complete the full final in one day. Even though we have a block schedule, many students at Fallon agree that we should have two days like Wells and Cottonwood.”
To illustrate, certain tests, like the SAT and ACT, may help with college applications and measure the amount of knowledge a student has retained over the years, although the UC systems no longer request testing for admissions. Some students heavily rely on these tests, while others don’t let the stress get to them, and this strategy allows them to score higher than others. Based on In-House Test Prep, the more one can let go of the pressure they feel, the better it is for them to excel on the SAT (Frindell, 2022). The article suggests students need to learn how to deal with stress, as well as practice for higher-level learning, with the skills and experiences gained in middle school.
Though it may not be possible to implement a two-day final schedule at Fallon, other measures can be taken to help better prepare students for the pressures that weigh them down and how to decompress afterward.
One way of achieving this is by relieving stress through winter break. As finals pass and break arrives, many students let go of built-up pressure by relaxing with friends and family. This is important for mental health and one’s overall well-being. A survey of Fallon students revealed that they decompress by talking to staff members, family, or siblings and taking time to listen to music or relax and do a beloved hobby. Finally, finals may never actually be removed from the middle school curriculum, but students should learn from experiences how to manage pressure and stress.
