With the first semester of the school year coming to an end in two weeks, students are getting prepared in their classes for their final tests for this half of the school year. Many students here at Eleanor Roosevelt High School feel a multitude of emotions ranging from excitement to nervousness.
High school finals week is often seen as the pinnacle of academic stress as many students declare this as a week full of late-night study sessions, high-stakes exams, and the pressure to perform well.
However, finals week doesn’t have to be a time of dread as students can prepare ahead of time with the help of their teachers as well as using their resources.
A senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Rachel Cong, shares her thoughts, and says.
“Finals week as a senior does not seem as stressful as I presumed it to be as a Freshman. It’s easier to expect what will happen during finals week, even though it is still stressful to prepare. Finals Week doesn’t last THAT long and as a senior, I believe it is just a sign that the worst of the semester is almost over.”
The end of finals week also is a sign of winter break where students get a moment of rest from academic learning, allowing them time to rest before continuing to learn new material.
During finals week, it’s important to maintain a balanced routine. Students should get plenty of rest, eat nutritious meals, and stay hydrated while studying. While the temptation of pulling all-nighters to study, sleep is essential for cognitive function and memory consolidation which students need to be able to proficiently study their material.
Becca Zhou, a senior at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, says
“Finals week honestly isn’t as bad as most people make it out to be. Most of my classes honestly don’t even have finals and even when they do I feel pretty confident in passing.” She then adds “Despite it being hard, as long as you’ve been studying for the past few months and paying attention to class it isn’t too bad. As a senior, these past 4 years have been stressful but finals also are a sign of almost being finished.”
Freshmen who’ve never experienced finals may be feeling nervous about their first time taking their finals while seniors see it as an indicator that they can take a break soon. Although this may not be true for everyone as each student has different feelings about this time of year.
