With testing around the corner, students have to prepare themselves
By Yasmin Mahmoud
As spring approaches, so does the testing season at Timber Creek. Some students couldn’t care less about it while others are struggling to keep calm. After spring break ends and students go back to school, everything gets turned up a notch as teachers prepare students for FSA, EOCs, and AP Exams. Unlike the year prior when state testing got canceled, it’s something that’ll end up happening and for some students, it’ll be their first time doing state testing at Timber Creek, not just Freshmen. Online testing will not be available but some AP exams are offering the option to take it online. For LaunchEd students, they must provide their own transportation to and from testing. As of right now, there isn’t any information on FSA and EOC testing however checking the “Spring 2021 Testing Information” on the Timber Creek website in the future will be wise as later they’ll add more information on it though information on SAT and ACT are on the page.
With the testing season also comes anxiety and stress as students worry about how they’re going to study or do on their tests. Sophomore, Jayden Reynolds, expresses how he feels when thinking about testing. “When I think about it too much, I get stressed out and all of the hypothetical what-ifs start to just run through my head which is not a good feeling. It just adds onto the stress like exponentially. So yeah, it’s not a good feeling. I usually end up just getting really anxious and stressed out before the test when I do that. So, I usually just try not to.” Testing can heavily affect a person’s mental state as it can lead them to worry, stressing, overthinking, etc. Although students need to care about how their performance will be on the big tests, it can be equally damaging to their wellbeing. Though with how the world is, would it be any different for students? “Honestly it’s going to feel odd, especially for the people like me who are at home most of the time especially given that the end of school year exams are going to be in person so that might be a bit rough for some people. I don’t feel too bad about it I mean I kind of expected it to be in person so just wishing for the best, to be honest,” Reynolds explained. LaunchEd students have been doing school online since the beginning of the school year and so they are more adjusted to the online environment. Surely having to physically go to school and take those tests will be a new experience for them, even if they already have been in school physically prior to COVID.
With that being said, students will also need to prepare themselves for testing however different students have different perspectives and ways of preparing. “I usually review old material from earlier in the school year that might involve looking at old notes. If I really want to get creative, I’ll go online and look for a quiz or something on a certain subject or topic that I might struggle with, and usually the night before a test or a few days leading up to the test, I’ll try to keep my mental load just light and just not stress myself out cause I already got the test on my mind so like usually the night before I’m just chilling, relaxing, maybe spending time with my family,” Reynolds mentions. Jacob Wax, also a sophomore, brings a completely different comment on preparing for testing. “I’ll usually just review my notes, that’s really it,” he said. Some students are more willing to take the time and study for the testing session while others prefer just to keep it simple and review, both ways being completely alright. Different people approach testing in different ways.
Many students may have many different ways in which they prepare for tests. Not only that but their mentality on testing may be different too as some students may not get as anxious as others. LaunchEd students might also struggle when going back for testing, especially if their sleep schedules have changed and how much they focus in class while online. For face-to-face students, they’ve been at Timber Creek since they were allowed to attend face-to-face so going to school physically won’t be something that would be new for them this year. Since there’s plenty of time, students should use the time to prepare for testing and focus on their health so they don’t neglect any needs due to test anxiety and studying.
