By Kevin Finn

Sentry Staff Reporter

Every June final exams cause panicking, fear and exhaustion. Students stay up late studying and cramming for their exams in each class. The current finals system has many issues. Under the current structure students take two  finals a day with a quick ten minute break in between. Ironically this year on Friday, June 13, students take their 7th and 8th period finals with a few classes sandwiched in the middle. The following week students have 1st and 2nd on Monday, 3rd and 4th on Tuesday and 5th and 6th on Wednesday. This system jams tons of testing into a short period of time and causes a lot of stress for students. With a few simple fixes students could be more successful and be much happier.

First, I would reform who has to take each final exam. I would classify each class into three categories to determine who has to take each classes final. I would model finals after Federal Income Tax policy with different levels of finals exemptions for different levels of classes like there are different levels of taxes for different levels of income.

1. No finals whatsoever:

AP classes, art classes, music classes, other electives, gym classes

AP students do so much preparation for AP exams that giving a final in those classes is just adding insult to injury. Art, music, other electives and gym classes are very important but giving final exams in those classes can distract students from their required finals.

2. No finals for students with an A average

Intensified classes, advanced classes, language classes

Intensified, advanced and language courses are very difficult. Therefore if a student has been able to achieve a four quarter A average, that student has demonstrated mastery of the complex material and should not have to take a final.

3. No finals for students with four As

All other classes

Straight As shows that a student fully understands the material and should not have to take a final exam.

This new system eliminates a few problems. First, it standardizes testing policy so that students in the same class but with different teachers are treated equally. Second, it eliminates end of year confusion about grades in regard to what qualifies for an exemption. Finally, it makes the maximum number of finals a student can take at five rather than the current seven.

Another problem with finals is the timing. Taking two long finals a day is a lot. I would have each subject give their final on a different day. Science on Monday, Math on Tuesday, etc. Each individual class would have a different room assignment where to take their test like for AP exams and SOLs. Students would only have to take one final per day. This would give students more time to study while only extending finals for one day. Currently finals goes four days, but with this setup there would be five days (science, math, english, social studies and language).

The last change I would make would be to standardize the actual final exam. For example every Chemistry student should take the same exam. The teachers that teach each class should meet to create the final as they see fit but the final should be consistent for each class. This prevents teachers who grade hard or give hard tests from giving impossible finals.

Finals should be as simple and aspainless as possible. By standardizing who has to take finals, changing when finals are take, and standardizing the exam we can eliminate lots of pressure and confusion for students.