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The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

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OPINION: Opt out of semester tests?

by Mikayla Somers

Students all around the US are preparing for semester finals. But some many only have to study for one or two finals. Why? If a student has a A, which they’ve worked hard for all semester long, taking a final could only bring their grade down. Some school districts allow such students to opt out of taking the semester final in such a class. I think Atlantic High School should offer that as an option as well.

As a senior, I’ve worked hard throughout the semester to earn an A in all my classes while juggling my homework, job, applying for colleges, school activities, and other outside activities such as 4-H. With Christmas quickly approaching at the same time as finals, I also have to work around early family Christmas’ which fill my weekends. Such a combination leaves me and, very likely, many other students very little time to study for the possibility of up to 8 semester finals.

A+ Rubber Stamp on Notebook Paper

Although semester tests may be an opportunity of salvation for students with a really low grade, for students who try hard throughout the year to receive an A, it could be their worst nightmare! Instead of trying to keep a well earned A, or even a B, some students just give up. I know students who figure out the lowest grade they could get to keep a passing grade and study just hard enough to meet that goal. Rather than students giving up on working for an A in a class because they now when semester finals roll around their grade will just drop, why not instead give students a reason to try for an A?

I think rewarding students by letting them opt out of semester finals if they have an A would boost their work ethic throughout the school year. I know I would try harder to keep an A in a class if it meant I wouldn’t have to take a major test at the end of the semester! Let’s be honest with ourselves: what student wouldn’t want to skip out of classes on semester test days?

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