End of Year Exams Causing Students High Anxieties
By Alexis Ries
As testing season starts to approach, students in elementary, middle, and high school anxiety levels and stress levels start to sky rocket. Having to take tests that impact grades as the year ends, and tests that partly affect your future, has a big role in a student’s life. It’s not just a normal test, that if you fail it, you can redo it for a higher grade. No. These tests are a big determining factor in whether or not you pass the grade level you are in. On top of it, depending how well you may, or may not do on these tests depends if you get placed in the classes you want for the next school year. And the classes you choose to take throughout the years of high school help shape and prepare you for college and for your career as an adult. So in other words, students have a right to worry over these tests. They have a right to be stressed and to feel a lot of anxiety.
Sophomore, Paige Roberts feels that the amount of pressure put onto these end of year exams is unnecessary. However Roberts feels that these tests are needed. Roberts said, “I just think that the exams should be less of a huge deal on the students’ being able to pass the course, not necessarily that the exams should be replaced altogether.” And her perspective is understandable, because these tests do help and determine many things for students and their futures. They are needed, but the amount of pressure from them is what becomes unbearable. Roberts also felt that 20-30% of your grade for one exam is excessive. And that the amount of your grade that these tests count towards should be lowered. If the pressure from these tests was lowered, there may be the opportunity that students would do better because they’d be less stressed and more able to focus and think clearly. As long as you do your part by studying and reviewing for the upcoming exams, as well as counting down the pressure of these tests, students should be able to do well and succeed.
On the other hand, a Spanish teacher at Timber Creek, Katherine Gonzalez, shares how she feels about the overall exams. As a teacher, it is her job to help make sure and prepare students for success. We learn from Ms.Gonzalez that for her particular class, if you want to succeed, especially come end of year exams, the best way to do so is to partake in class, follow along, and take clean and organized notes. And Ms.Gonzalez realizes, just as other students and teachers, that these tests are important, but as well agrees that where students are so stressed that they are losing sleep and or can’t focus and concentrate, that’s too much pressure. And another small tip, was to have some fun as well. Because cramming to study won’t get you anywhere, you still need to allow a bit of time for yourself as well. However, in the end, as a teacher, there’s only so much she can do. As long as the teachers do their jobs and teach the students, help the students when they ask for help, support the students mentally, that’s all that they can do. The rest is on the students, to try their best and to hopefully succeed. And that is exactly everything that Ms.Gonzalez has been doing.
Another perspective from 10th grade student; Jose Perez, is basically, do what works for you. For him personally, not really studying, and kind of just going with what feels right helps him succeed best. But for other students, some may do better going over everything and having big reviews. Just as some students work well under stress, and some students don’t work very well under stress. If cramming for a test, the day or two days before helps and works for you, then go for it. But if studying over a longer period of time is better, then do it that way. But like everyone else, Perez doesn’t like the end of year exams, and doesn’t like how much pressure it puts upon them, but as everyone else, he also knows they’re necessary. As mostly all students, Perez mentions how one of his biggest worries or fears is not succeeding or doing well enough on the tests. But, trying his best is all that counts.
One last perspective from math teacher, Michael Alsoa, is rather the same as everyone else who has taken these end of year tests into consideration more than just whether they’re liked or disliked. Or whether they’re easy or not. Looking at it with a deeper insight, they are needed, but the amount of stress and pressure put onto these exams should be far less than what it is. As a teacher, Mr. Alosa mentions that he tries to give his students plenty of time to study and review, and tries to give many resources. But as he also mentions the whole school year is a review. Everything being done and taught throughout the year is helping to prepare students for what lay ahead of them come the end of the school year. “Truthfully, I don’t think that there needs to be an alternative to end of course exams. I would like to see a different amount of emphasis put on them at the end of the school year, but not have them disappear entirely,” said Mr. Alosa. Having these tests help teachers monitor students and help teachers know whether their students are succeeding and how as an overall teacher they’re doing. But as Spanish teacher Ms.Gonzalez previously mentioned, Mr. Alosa also agrees. There’s only so much that can be done on the teachers end. If the teacher is actually a good teacher, they will do everything they can to help students prepare. They will take the time to explain things, they will answer questions, they will help and support their students physically and mentally. But, the rest is on the student. If it’s a good teacher, and a good student, who tries hard and pays attention, then they should be able to succeed. And on math teacher; Mr.Alosa’s end, he’s done the best to his ability to help his students this year and every year and is a good teacher.
One last thing to keep in mind, is don’t let one test bring you down. Though these tests are such a big influence on students, they shouldn’t be everything. If you’re a good student who tries hard, who listens to directions, who does good on classwork, and succeeds all school year, then don’t let this one test, this one exam bring you down. As long as you try your best, that’s all that actually matters. Some students just don’t do well on tests, period. Or some students just don’t know how to succeed under all the pressures. But if you do good and try hard, and you know you’re a good student, then the rest doesn’t matter. So as the testing season approaches, yes, there are stresses, there are anxieties because these exams are important. But don’t let it consume you. Don’t let it become you. Try hard, and let the rest fall into place, because that’s all you can do. And after a certain point, you have to learn to trust yourself, and trust that things will be okay and that it will all workout for the better.
