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Martha’s Musings: Junior exasperated by lack of exam privileges for juniors

Martha Schick, Managing Editor

May 15, 2012

Martha's Musings: Junior exasperated by lack of exam privileges for juniors

For me, being a junior in senior classes wasn’t a problem until exam week arrived. During senior exam week, the underclassmen got the raw end of the deal. For underclassmen in senior classes, privileges are not extended to anybody other than the seniors, which makes exams far worse for the underclassmen.

While seniors have their regular exam week and some AP exams, which are stressful enough, underclassmen have to balance exam week with AP exams as well as their regular classes. They have to keep up with work from their classes while simultaneously studying. While my teachers understood the circumstances, it adds undue stress to the already existing stress of exams.

This would be made better if there was a way for underclassmen to be exempt from exams. Seniors get the opportunity to be exempt if they have an A in the class. All grade levels do the same amount of work for the same amount of time, so there is no reason that some students should get the chance to not take the exam while others don’t. This motivation for seniors to do well would extend to the others in the class if there was the same payoff.

Giving underclassmen enough time to make up missed work would also help immensely with exam week stress. When seniors are exempt from one of their exams, they don’t have to complete the day. However, underclassmen have to go back to their classes after their exams are done. Taking an hour and a half exam is mentally exhausting, especially when you know that you just missed class and have to make up assignments. If underclassmen were also allowed to leave after their exams or come in late for them, they could use that time to catch up with their classes or to study.

Underclassmen in senior classes should be rewarded for the intelligence it takes to earn the same grades as people at least a year older than. Instead, senior exam week becomes even more stressful for them. By treating them the way seniors are treated, much of their stress could be eliminated, making for a better week for everybody.

Martha Schick is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.