The week before winter break. Most people have implied a negative connotation towards this week. There’s an abundant amount of work, teachers are cramming in last minute tests, and students are frankly too hyped up about winter break to do well. This, along with the fact that students are still losing hours of sleep, leads to a significant drop in grades right before the end of the semester.
Picture this: Instead of cramming for one to two chapters from each subject, you are cramming for eight to ten chapters before break. Not only that, but all your grades depend on these tests. These tests are worth more than other tests that were given throughout the year. What is happening? What have you gotten into? Finals. You are studying for finals before winter break.
On the plus side, winter break would be much more enjoyable because essentially, no one would have any school related things to worry about. People would get to completely relax, no winter break assignments, no thoughts nagging, “Study for finals. Study for finals.” But this is about as far as the pluses for finals before winter break go.
Having finals before winter break would kill students. Generally, teachers plan to do at least two chapters after winter break that will be included in the final. If finals were before winter break, everything would have to move faster academic wise, between September and the beginning of December. That is less than four months to provide the students with everything they need to learn for the first semester (as opposed to five months when including January).
It wouldn’t be impossible, but would be difficult for teachers to accommodate it into their lesson plans and would be a hit with a hammer on the head for students. But the issue is not whether or not this is possible (because it is), but instead is whether or not students can handle this. The answer to THAT question would most likely be a no. Especially the students with multiple AP and Honors classes, whose classes are already moving through chapters so fast, would have no time to breathe. The strain on students from school would heighten and students’ self-confidence would lower, along with many other negative side effects.
Finals before Winter Break, also does not work out because that would mean that the semester would end in the middle of December, not at the end of January. For those of you that are proposing the idea that we should have an extra month for summer, think about the AP tests that are given in May (and not in April). For finals to happen before winter break, FVHS would have to also drag along with it all the schools following the finals-after-break ruling.
Needless to say, finals are to stay for after break for the benefit of students, teachers, and school districts everywhere.
