The Final Opinion

It is almost the holidays, and that means two weeks of no school! Two weeks of hanging out with friends and family, shopping, and having a good time. Unfortunately, that also means a week of trying to raise a few grades up and studying for the dreaded final exams. These exams, which are worth about 15 percent or more of our final grade, can either make or break us. So why is there this need to put pressure on students before the holiday break? Is it necessary?

“I don’t like finals because I have to study nonstop for just six classes. I feel like I’m on lockdown,” Emily W., junior.

I personally believe that finals are a waste of time. How can one test determine such a major part of our grade? It is not fair. A semester is 18 weeks long; how in the world are we supposed to remember everything that we learned about in the first month of school? Yes, in some classes we do get study guides, but for most classes we do not. For those classes, it is all about rereading the textbooks and looking back at notes, and trying to do this while gathering up more information is time consuming and difficult.

Instead of putting all this unneeded stress on students before the holidays, why don’t teachers make finals something different and not just a major test? For a few of my classes this year, we are doing projects in place of the finals. I really enjoy projects because I can decorate and put my own twist on them. For me, I know that I can make it my own, and that makes it more interesting than a test. I also like the fact that with projects, I have time to make them perfect, unlike the final which I only have an hour and a half to take. The whole idea about trying to rush through major tests that can possible damage my grade is nerve racking. I would rather just do something fun and interesting for the last week of school that can raise my grade.

I am sure many students do not like finals week, but unfortunately it is something that we all must do. We might as well try our best to get that good grade and feel accomplished. After all, once those six finals are over with, we get to enjoy two weeks of no school!

Written by: Paige Amoss