This is not the year for midterms
Staff Writer Chloe Mitchell writes that this year’s midterms add extra pressure for students and teachers, on top of the pre-existing COVID-induced stress.
January 14, 2022
Whether or not teachers give midterms should be their decision, especially with the added stress of COVID-19 spreading around the school.
There is already enough academic stress on students this year without midterms, as everyone is trying to figure out how to transition themselves back into their old school habits. Since we have been fully in-person all year, students have a larger workload and are receiving more tests and quizzes.
I know from my own experiences that I have had an average of three to four quizzes or tests a week. While sitting in class waiting for the bell to ring, I have heard many students talk about how stressed they are about having midterms again on top of the increased academic stress they’ve had to adjust to this school year. Many upperclassmen mention how they don’t think they are as prepared this year as they have been in previous years.
With the rise of COVID-19 cases within the past few weeks, there will be multiple students who won’t be able to take the exams because they have either been exposed to or have COVID-19. These students will have to make up seven two-hour exams which will stress them out even more. Potentially making up 14 hours of exams on top of the work of a new semester will be overwhelming.
How many students are we talking about? According to the NSBORO weekly COVID-19 dashboard, from Dec. 16, 2021 to Dec. 22, 2021, there were 153 in-school close contacts and 22 positive cases just in our school. From Dec. 23, 2021 to Jan. 2, 2021 there were 92 cases in total that the school was notified about, and a cumulative case count of 206. It is likely the numbers will be similar, if not higher, due to the Omicron variant during the week of exams.
Administration doesn’t see that administering and grading midterms and make-up exams can be stressful on the teachers as well, not just the students. Teachers are also adjusting to the increased stress of this school year. They have not planned midterms in a while, just like we have not taken them. It should be the teachers’ decision whether they want to give a midterm to their classes or not, rather than it being required.
While one of the philosophies behind midterms and final exams is to prepare students for college exams, not all college courses have finals and not all ARHS students plan to attend college.
Additionally, some midterms this year may be essays or projects instead of traditional exams. In many classes, this seems to be an additional essay or project on top of the essays and projects we already have at the end of the term, simply because teachers are required to have students complete an assessment during that two-hour period.
Administration should make midterms optional by letting individual teachers have a voice. The increased academic stress on teachers and students in addition to the rise of COVID-19 make it unreasonable for these exams to be required this year.
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