Students Prepare for Finals After Break
Finals are approaching, as is the stress that comes with it.
At Parkway North, tests for each class are spread out over four days. Finals start on January 8th, with the final tests taking place on January 11.
“It's hard that they're all at the same time and that it's back to back,” said junior Zahara Saunders. “So you're kind of stressed out all at once.”
In 2019, Missouri Governor Mike Parson signed a bill that pushed back the earliest possible start date for public schools. This also made it so that 1st-semester finals would be after winter break. This means that students will likely spend some of their time over break studying for finals, instead of actually having a break.
“I think they should be before winter break,” said Saunders. “I think it makes you stressed out over the break, and you should have fun.”
Finals being after the break also means that students could forget what they learned before the almost two-week long break.
“I don't love it. But I think… if students have really learned what they're supposed to learn, it shouldn't matter that there was a break in between,” said English teacher and National Honor Society sponsor Debbie Banashek-Twist. “Because it should really test actual learning, not just cramming.”
The upcoming tests are also the first high school finals for freshmen. Middle school did not have final exams.
“[I’m scared of] just not knowing what to expect. Especially with English,” said freshman Adeline Friedhoff.
The finals cover everything from the first semester, which can be challenging.
“Recalling all of the information you learned from the first three units [is the hardest thing],” said sophomore Kara Niemeyer.
While many people don’t like finals, they have varying opinions on its importance. Some feel its unimportant, while others can see why they’re useful.
“I think they're important to see how much you have learned,” said Niemeyer. “But I don't see how the material you're learning is going to apply to the real world.”
Banashek-Twist said, “I do [think they're important], yes. Because a lot of students are moving on to things after high school where there are going to be kind of big, high stakes either exams or projects and I think we need to prepare people for that.”
One thing that comes to mind when many students think of finals is stress. Around 18 percent of students have moderately high test anxiety, while another 16-20 percent have high test anxiety, according to Oxford Learning.
Some ways to combat test anxiety include learning relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, learning how to study efficiently, and getting enough sleep, food, and water. Probably one of the most important things to be successful in finals is preparation.
“Don't wait till the very last day [to study], do it over multiple sessions,” said Banashek-Twist. ”And I think anything where students are actually writing like rewriting or doing something active is better than just reading over things, because then it doesn't stick the same way.”
Finals studying should start early, and you might want to make a plan. Some subjects may require more studying than others, and you should prioritize accordingly. Breaks are also important- you don’t want to study for hours and hours without stopping.
Besides studying, exercise, good eating habits, and sleep are also important. Another tip is to make or find a study playlist. Classical, jazz, and lo-fi music are good for studying.
On December 19 and January 4th, the National Honor Society is hosting a study event with hot chocolate, where junior and senior tutors can help with studying.
Even with all the negatives of finals, there are some positives. “I like the idea of a half day,” said Freidhoff.