As a young child, the last day of school was always filled with tearful goodbyes and dramatic exits. Naturally, one would think that the last day of high school would be even more extravagant, given that the courses are a lot more intense. But there’s nothing more anticlimactic than trudging out of school after barely surviving a final in an empty and desolate building. With Standard of Learning (SOL) exams, Advanced Placement (AP) exams and finals, the last few weeks of school become a chaotic mess of stress and studying instead of a picture perfect goodbye.
When reminiscing on childhood school days, it’s evident the last day was a much bigger deal than it is now. In elementary school, changes are jarring, emotions are amplified and milestone events such as the 100th day of school and the last day of school are climactic. We used to have a class party to celebrate each one of these events, which made them seem even more special. Our last day of school party featured food and drinks, yearbook signings, movies and more. Tests and studying were the last things on our minds. But as students transition to high school, the script is flipped.
Instead of a day filled with friends and happy memories, students spend their last day at school taking a test or not even showing up at all. Since not everyone has a final for their last class, the school is often empty and students don’t get to say goodbye to their favorite friends and teachers. For those who do have a final, they can’t even enjoy their last day because they are too busy worrying about their test. And when they finally do finish their exam, they are probably too exhausted to celebrate.
After putting countless hours into late night study sessions, rigorous coursework and challenging exams, it’s perfectly reasonable to want to celebrate finishing the school year. Students deserve the opportunity to enjoy their last day and say goodbye to their friends and favorite teachers. They should get a day to relax, sign yearbooks, make plans for summer and celebrate their success.
Specifically, seniors deserve a day like this more than anybody else. They are leaving behind their childhood and stepping into the real world as they go into college or the workforce. The last day of their year marks the end of four huge years of their life, and yet this moment of celebration is being robbed from them.
While the last day of school is certainly lackluster, the weeks leading up to it are not much better. Due to the exams that wreck the schedule of these weeks, the structure of classes is disrupted and becomes unproductive. Some teachers even opt to show movies or do other pointless time fillers during the last few weeks, which is just a complete waste of time. The weather is beautiful and students would rather be spending time outside in the sun, but they are stuck inside watching movies.
Some would argue that because the last few weeks of school are so pointless, the school should just move finals and graduation up a couple weeks. But would this stretch of wasted time disappear, or would it simply move up a few weeks too? Just because the end of school is moved up doesn’t change the principle of a disrupted schedule. Instead of ending the school year earlier, teachers should focus on being more productive with their class in order to avoid wasting time.
