It’s the end of the school year, but don’t relax yet students! This last final will determine whether or not you pass the class if you have below a 75%.
The Daily Universe surveyed over 2000 students and found that 64 percent of students worry about their finals negatively affecting their grades and academic performance.
A solution other schools have come up with in replacement of that stress is making finals optional for students who qualify. Or, like Yorkville High School, have gotten rid of finals entirely.
In addition to this, other schools have begun final exam exemptions depending on how many days students had unexcused absences, their GPA, and whether or not they’ve had a suspension. Of course, in replacement for that final, another evaluation could be done by teachers such as presentations and projects of topics they’ve gone over throughout the semester.
We feel the best approach is making finals optional for students who have a 95% or higher. That would reduce the anxiety and stress that students experience trying to cram for all the information from all of their classes.
Numerous students stress over finals and spend hours going over the semester’s lessons, when they have other classes to worry about on top of that. Not only does this affect a student’s mindset, but stress can highly reflect upon all of their grades.
Students who have a 95% or above shouldn’t have to take the final because it won’t change their overall grade unless they get a D. They don’t benefit at all from taking it, and shouldn’t need to take it if they’ve proven throughout the year that they know the material that well.
Making finals optional will also encourage students to keep their grade high throughout the entire year. This gives students a reward for being diligent throughout the entire semester and allows them to refocus on other classes.
For AP students, the classes are hard enough with the overwhelming work they are given every night and the pressure to pass to get that college credit. Even a minor slip up nearing the end of the semester, let alone the extra work from other classes, can drastically affect a student’s anxiety level.
There is no point in studying that much in classes students have a high grade in. If students didn’t have to take a final for a class they’re doing well in, it would let them focus and prioritize the classes they actually need to work on.