Each and every year when finals rolls around, new challenges appear. Trying to cram your brain with new information and also manage to remember everything you’ve learned all year is a struggle. Not only is it a difficult time for students, but also teachers.
Greg Wodzien, english teacher at Grant Community High School claims “The truth is that students and teachers spend 4 and a half months preparing for this one moment.”
Behind this statement lies a serious truth. Students try to maintain decent grades throughout the semester in hopes that finals will boost them, not break them down. Some students claim that teachers are out to get them because of their grades, but this isn’t the case.
Mr. Wodzien claims, “When I look at the formative and summative assessments students have taken in class, I’ve shaped the way the class learns so they will be successful come final exam time in December.”
Academic achievement is the overall goal at Grant. Maintaining success within educational environments is a priority for most students and teachers as well.
Although being prosperous within the gradebook is a huge accomplishment, it takes a lot of studying to achieve that.

Students who try their best to be exceptional at school often struggle even when they have good grades. For example, last year freshman Abby Allen claims that finals were a challenge.
“I thought they were really stressful even though I studied a lot.”
Abby has a remarkable GPA, but she claims that it’s a lot to keep up with.
The side effects emotionally from these tests is quite impactful. Finals not only takes a toll on emotional health, but also physical.
Students who are staying up late to relearn everything from the semester, are missing out on sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need about eight hours of sleep each night. Depending on the personal life of the student, they might not be getting home until eight or nine pm because of extra curriculars or sports practices. Afterwards they have to find a time to eat, socialize with family, and then study. At this rate, they might not be falling asleep until midnight or later which makes it more tempting to hit snooze rather than wake up and face the day.

Another factor of sleep deprivation could be the increase of students turning to caffeine to boost their mood and keep their eyes open. Whereas in fact just getting a little bit more shut eye could potentially be what they need instead.
Now that you’ve been exposed to the true aspects that go into finals for everyone, perhaps rethinking the way you tackle them this year is necessary. Overall, the key to finals is to get lots of rest, pay attention in class, and do all of the tedious study guides.