It’s halfway through the year and time again for the midterm exams. The class of 2006 has seen it all. Their freshman year consisted of open campus, in which the students could leave during the time they did not have exams to take. After two years of students causing problems around town, open campus ended. Last year a new type of exam schedule was introduced with mixed results. The students obviously did not like the idea of having to stay in the building when there were no exams to take. Many were not aware of the reason for this change in schedule. With 45-minute blocks between exams, students were given time to refresh their memories with all of the “studying” that was already done. The teachers believed that it was important for the students to study, but not while they had to correct exams. It was a leap of faith to presume that four hundred students would study quietly all day.
This year there is something different. Something that makes a little less sense. This year there are two exams a day, and two full length, 80-minute classes a day. What does the administration think will get done during all that time? It is absurd to think that any teacher wants to teach a lesson in that time between exams. It is also impractical to think that any student wants to listen to a lesson between exams. Midterm exams are full class length tests, covering everything that has been done all year. Exams can be very stressful for students who take a full load of eight classes. For students with several honors and AP courses, midterm exams can be the worst time of the year.
A solution to this time management problem is to have four half days instead of four, four period exam/class days. It would accomplish the same amount of work. These extra 80-minute periods are unnecessary. Any student who plans on studying for his/her exam would, no doubt, rather do it at home. Why not send the students home instead of baby-sit them all day? The seniors are leaving after this year, but there are still finals to think about. Hopefully, in the next few years this scheduling problem can be solved.
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