At The Village School, students of all grades (6-12) have to take the exam everyone diligently prepares for the entire semester: midterms. Midterms, taken at the end of the first semester, are exams that review all the previous materials and content they’ve learned for the past three to four months. They are relatively similar to finals; instead, at the end of the year, it is in the middle. This exam is a big deal for high school students, they determine the overall grade of a student’s first semester and highly impact GPA. No matter what kind of academic student you are at The Village School, everyone has to take all midterms. Most of the time, students are only required to take main subjects: Math, Science, English, Social Studies, etc. Other classes, like electives, depend on the course and teacher to decide whether an exam will be taken. For example, an art elective class would likely not have a midterm unless the teacher says otherwise. Full IB students are considered to have more midterms since all IB classes are required to take them. Most students who take full IB have fewer electives than other kinds of academic students. Having so many classes to study for can be overwhelming. Taking this into account, a student’s grade most often affects the difficulty and stress that come with the midterm. This is something that all grades of high school and the difficulty only increases. The question that lies is, how do midterms differ between the beginning and end of high school?
The added stress of midterms often varies depending on grade level, particularly between freshmen and seniors. Freshman students are new to high school and are adjusting to the new curriculum, with some freshmen taking higher-level honors classes. This newness causes stress. The thought process of seniors differs from freshmen as the midterm is the last academic assessment they take that will be sent to universities in their Mid-Year reports. Not to mention, seniors have been repetitively taking exams and midterms all throughout their high school career, and by now, “senioritis”(a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance) may have kicked in. Seniors have been through every other grade in high school, which is an advantage as they know what to expect for the exams. By senior year, most students know how challenging college could potentially be and the stresses that may come with it. After taking so many exams (finals and midterms), most students can understand how to study and prioritize. Freshmen are new to high school and less likely to know what to expect for their first high school midterm as in middle school. Both comparisons are easy to make because what seniors have learned over the years about test taking can inform freshmen about the common mistakes made or how to improve preparation for Midterms.
Though some seniors may take more advanced classes, many may find it less challenging than past grades because some seniors chose to take easier classes for their last year. “I believe that my midterms will be easier this year and I took all of my hard classes in my younger years of high school,” said senior Sloane Hollingsworth. One of the primary purposes of high school is to prepare you for college; this preparation is essential for success at a university. Hollingsworth expresses that she feels satisfied with how Village has prepared her, “I believe that high school has prepared me as much as it can. High school and college are very different, but I believe the school has done a good job helping us prepare for more than what we have already experienced.” Hollingsworth elaborates, “being a senior means you now know how to prioritize studying and school over the fun little things that would distract you in your younger years.” Preparation for college is crucial, as well as preparing for midterms. How one studies is important because one’s studying will reflect on their grades. “I push everything aside and put my headphones on. This helps me zone in into what I am doing and fully focus” said Hollingsworth. Lastly, Hollingsworth mentions how she believes junior year is the hardest year for midterms. Studying is the most vital part of having success with all midterms. Relaxing your mind and taking breaks are also key to relieving stress. Wishing all the best, good luck!
