For many students, the entire month of January is a stress-filled nightmare. Right after winter break, students are required to jump straight into missed assignments, any tests teachers have to cram in before the end of the marking period, and extensive studying for the dreaded week of midterms. Many students complain about having to remember difficult concepts from 3-4 months ago, and, for some, normal test anxiety is amplified when they know a week of straight testing is in their future.

One junior student says that a lot of her teachers are assigning in-depth projects/presentations along with end-of-the-marking period tests. She told me, “I get so many projects and tests that make it impossible to study effectively for midterms.”  Although tests are difficult to avoid, projects could definitely be kept to a minimum. 

Another junior, Yasmin Sandoval, says, “Having to remember concepts from September is really stressful.” Many students agree that when given just a few weeks to recall and apply both old and new concepts, they are often overwhelmed with the amount of extra work they have to do along with their usual tests and homework. 

The effect midterms have on the cumulative year-grade is another point of stress for students. A recent email sent out to the district confirms that midterms and finals account for 20% of a student’s year-end grade. If a student is doing well in their classes but for some reason missed the mark on a midterm, that could tank their grade and negatively affect their GPA.

While the intention of midterms – to assess student understanding and get a clear idea of a class’s grasp of a subject – is understandable, many aspects of the week of testing have an overwhelmingly negative effect on students. It is also worth noting, though, that the district has recently made an effort to lessen the stress and time put into midterms. Midterms are not required for certain elective classes or physical education classes, giving some students the opportunity to rest, recharge, and review for their more important and rigorous exams. This change is sure to help ease some of the past stress.