and the Absurdity of Midterms and Finals

By Abby Muresan

 As the weather gets warmer and finals creep up, let’s look back at December. The part of winter where it doesn’t make you want to curl into a ball and cry. Well, that’s up for debate—but I think that most people will agree that as soon as midterms are over, life feels pretty great. Midterms are like a roadblock to the happiness of winter break, just like our finals coming up. Summer is like an extended winter break and an extended period of joy for many, and finals will be the last thing in the way. April allows us to think back on our performances around 130 days ago. Did you lose too much sleep? Was it worth it? What can you do better? As May comes to a close and June begins, let’s just say students will not be relaxed. It will be a time of lost sleep and social interaction while trying to gather every possible piece of information possible into our minds. 

Whether the teachers admit it or not, it is too much. We need to sacrifice everything we have left in us just to achieve the break we deserve. Whether it is winter or summer break, I think it is safe to say that almost every student dreams of it. It is so very difficult to go back to school in January knowing that you are only halfway. It’s easier said than done having a glass half full attitude when you are back to school during some of the worst months of the year. The good vibes that come with winter break and Christmas or Hanukkah are quickly ripped out of our hands along with the motivation to do anything. 

I believe that school should not go past June even if it is just finals. Also, I think the amount of studying we need to do during midterms and finals to achieve a good grade must drop tremendously. I know that there is a lot we learn during the school year and that they are a chance for us to show off what we know, but I think the amount we study says a lot. Even if you stay up late everyday during the school year with athletics and homework, it isn’t enough to get you to cruise through finals and get an A without studying. Doesn’t that show how finals are designed for us to cram all of the past units into our minds? If it is truly a test of our knowledge, then we shouldn’t need to study. But, the difficulty of them and the amount we learn throughout the year doesn’t allow for this. Instead, we live every day desiring a vacation with the nagging thought that we must suffer before we can have one.