As the fall semester winds down, students are taking final exams where students are expected to recall information learned from August to December. In other school districts, grades received after final exams typically account for around 20% for the full semester grade. However, Wylie’s different approach is meant to both benefit students and account for the level of stress that this time of year usually brings.
“I’m not taking any finals this semester because of exemptions as well as mostly all of my major grades are excellent and [the exams] would not help me at all,” Nancy Yao (10) said.
For many, the decision to not take finals is based on the belief that their current grades outweigh the effort required to prepare and perform well on the tests. The exams may seem unnecessary, especially when the outcome is unlikely to affect overall performance. However, the exemption policy has also been a source of frustration.
“I am not a fan of the exemption policy because I wasn’t able to get exempted,” Addison Gregg (10) said. “I had 4 absences in some classes due to leaving early for migraines and an allergic reaction.”
To qualify for exemption, students must miss three or fewer class periods and maintain passing grades. Absences are counted based on individual class periods rather than the total number of full days a student has missed. Therefore, one may be asked to attend some exams but not others. While this policy is designed to reward good attendance and academic achievement, some students feel it does not account for unavoidable situations, such as illness or certain emergencies.
“It’s unrealistic to miss less than 3 days if you factor in sick days, not counting doctors notes as well,” Yao said.
Despite these frustrations, students acknowledge the inability of the exam to hurt grades, as teachers are required to drop students’ lowest major grade anyways. If a student decides to skip the exam, the semester final will be an automatic zero in Skyward but will not count towards GPA.
“I don’t think the tests are something to stress about because they can’t hurt you anyways,” Gregg said.
There are many misconceptions around how students should handle finals week. It may prove beneficial to take the exams seriously though, so decisions surrounding it should not be considered lightly.
“It’s better to take the exams seriously if anyone plans on taking it since it could potentially be a grade booster,” Yao said.
While opinions about exams and exemptions vary, for some, it’s a chance to solidify or raise their grades. For others, it’s a gateway to a stress free week. Regardless of whether or not one chooses to take exams, it is still an important step in closing out the semester and preparing for a fresh start in the spring.