As students approach the end of the semester, tension and tiredness begin to merge. However, with the final period being the most critical time in defining one’s grade, there is no time to rest and this adds to the pressure felt by all involved. Regardless of what subjects students are taking, they can be certain to see a whole host of summatives before them in those final days before they break up for vacation. Many students find it overwhelming when trying to complete a myriad of final assignments alongside preparing for exams all at the same time. 

Kim, a tenth-grade student, explained that she goes through the entire final period without hardly any sleep. She noted, “Last semester, I think I managed about 2 hours of sleep per night for over a week.” When questioned why this was the case, she replied, “I literally wouldn’t have been able to get everything done if I’d slept more.” 

Alongside taking a toll on students’ health and well-being, the constrained time frame led students to feel that they could not demonstrate all their abilities. Lee, another sophomore, pointed out, “How can I give my best performance when I’ve got to write three essays and sit two exams in the space of five days?” He went on saying, “I feel like I’m just trying to get through the finals period rather than thrive in it.”

It seems that students are calling for teachers to work together to spread out the requirements of each of their classes in a way that they do not all overlap. When asked about a potential solution, Kim accepted that final summatives do need to come at the end of the semester, but he commented, “Surely, the teachers can work together with the students to make a more reasonable schedule.” When asked for clarity, he added, “I would suggest teachers speak to one another to see when each of their summatives are due. Also, they could canvas their students to see when they would like to do the assignment or exam.” It seems this would be a method to ensure that students do not end up with everything being due on the same day or two.

Students, of course, do need to recognize that teachers are also incredibly busy during this period; thus, any adjustment needs to be done in collaboration with one another. Nevertheless, Lee added, “If my teachers want to see my best work, I need them to give me a chance to show it. Under the current conditions, I am unable to demonstrate my full capabilities because there’s just not enough time to complete the assignments or prepare for the exams.” Evidently, the current situation is hindering both the health and performance of students, so it seems necessary for the issue to be assessed and a conclusion to be found that suits both teachers and students. The final exam period should be a time students approach with a belief that they can demonstrate all they have learned throughout the semester, rather than something they dread.