Final Frustrations: Should Term Two Exams Come Before Winter Break?

This year, term two began on October 29th and will end on January 16th. Of the forty-five school days, thirteen are interrupted by both Thanksgiving and winter breaks. I know that I feel especially stressed by this disorganized, overwhelming schedule, and I wanted to see if I was alone. This curiosity led me to talk to some students and staff here at WHS—here is what I discovered.

I first spoke with junior Chayse Torstenson. She offered a unique perspective, stating, “I find that the break before finals is necessary. It’s a time for us to recharge and get a short, much-needed break.” For her, the pause is motivating, “It gives me a refresh.”

However, not everyone agrees with Torstenson. Winter break spans sixteen consecutive days this year, so a major concern is that retaining information during it will be difficult. Senior Malak Saad shared that she and many classmates struggle when returning to classes because they’re still in “holiday mode”. Saad wishes our school would schedule the term two finals before winter break, “That way we can get them over with and be able to enjoy the holidays without worrying about exams.” To sophomores navigating this schedule for the first time, she offered this advice: “Make a study plan and review a little each day to keep things fresh.”

Finally, to gain a staff perspective on the issue, I talked to English teacher Mrs. Sweeney. She admitted that it’s hard to get students into a “finals mindset” after the long break, stating, “It almost feels like winter break should be a nice end to a term, and coming back we should start a new one.” Mrs. Sweeney noted that everyone would also benefit from the term three finals ending before spring break.

Though our schedule can bring challenges, the staff at WHS works hard to support and prepare students for finals each term. Mrs. Sweeney gave an example of what she does to try and reduce stress for her English III class. “We are doing presentations after the break, so I make sure we do a lot of the heavy lifting before. That way, when they come back, they really just have to worry about giving the presentation,” she explained. Sweeney also allows her students time to adjust once returning from break, saying, “Usually the day we come back is a catch-up day. We spend it getting everyone back in the mindset of school, not so much doing work.”

Finals are a stressful time for any student, but the way our school schedules them brings extra, unnecessary challenges. Unfortunately, the state legislation regarding school start times makes it difficult to adjust our calendar. So, though changing when our school takes final exams may not be possible, we can change how we approach them. Try taking extra time to review while away from school, or think of the break as Chayse does (refreshing rather than a setback). These subtle mindset shifts could help students feel more prepared to return to classes and take the final exam. Remember—we don’t always get to control our circumstances, but we do have power over how we think. Happy holidays, I hope you have a wonderful winter break!