Each semester the dreaded finals time rolls around and suddenly students are caught in a whirlwind of home- work, studying and plain terror as they attempt to balance everything happening all at once. So, in order to solve the over whelming stress, The Kirkwood Call staff voted 33:18 that at KHS, students should be allowed to excuse themselves from one of their finals each semester – as long as they have earned an A in the class.
The color red is seen in the caffeine-ridden and sleepless eyes of students almost as commonly as it is on their shirts. There’s only one time of year those eyes are seen on all the students for the exact same reason – with a hint of self-pity in them, too – and that’s finals time.
In order to keep students from overdosing on coffee during this stressful period, they should be allowed to excuse themselves from one of their finals per semester.
According to Marquette High School’s policy, students in their final semester of school are exempt from taking all the exams for courses in which they have earned an A. The Kirkwood Call proposes that at KHS, this idea of an excused final would apply to all students, except they would only choose one of the classes they have an A in, rather than being exempt from every final.
Some may say that no real application of knowledge could be shown using this method, yet the semester leading up to finals is the real test of intelligence for every student. 59 percent (204/344) of students rush to relearn the material for that one test anyway, and there is a huge difference between re-memorizing something and actually learning it the first time.
The learning process, rather than the memorizing, is the one that counts for truly understanding the material. Although AP teachers might feel their students should be required to take a final, due to the courses being set at higher standards, it serves no purpose other than added stress. The actual AP exam is the true final that proves if they have been paying attention, and that is the biggest test of all. AP students should also be responsible enough to stay on track without taking two finals.
With a policy that would benefit KHS students, more of them would set goals to reach a well- earned A. According to a research paper done at George Washington University, motivation is broken down into competence and control. Competence can possibly alter a student’s perception of their own abilities in a positive way. And there is no better motivation to earn an A than not having to take the final.
Students also have to be in complete control of this important and potentially rewarding goal as they see it through. They have to stay organized and focused as they go along– which may sound impossible with the messy tendencies teenagers have. Building these new habits can lead to better performance in the long run, according to the Washington Uni- versity researchers.
Not having to take that one extra final can give students more time than usual to study for a class they find extremely difficult. This advantage allows students
to excel in something they don’t understand very well, considering they have just saved themselves from studying for a class they feel confident enough about.
Dr. Havener has also confirmed that the administration has briefly discussed this topic, saying that students who are confident in a subject and have an A in a class should be able to skip the final. Yet, they also think that if anything were to change in the near future – with finals – it would most likely be the setup of the tests, because no one is quite ready to go in-depth.
KHS needs to consider switching the finals policy to benefit the student body by bringing an even larger success rate through more motivation, so hopefully the number of caffeine-ridden zombies seen in the halls in December and May will decrease.
