By Jessica Nguyen
Most students feel anxious about tests because they’re often hard and account for the majority of grades. There’s nothing worse than being unprepared for one, which is why tests should be given after break.
Taking tests after a break allows students to rest and come back to school with a clear head. When teachers cram tests before breaks, as many already do, students are overwhelmed because they have a ton of homework to do and exams to study for. Students typically perform worse on exams when they are stressed because their ability to focus during lectures or while studying is compromised.
While breaks are a time for students to relax, they’re also a time for students to catch up on classwork material and study. Without school and club commitments taking up five days a week, students have the opportunity to study with friends at a library or coffee shop and ultimately feel less stressed for exams because they reviewed over a break.
Instead of forgetting information over a long break, students will still remember most of the concepts as long as they continuously review the material and complete their homework. Some teachers have extra credit assignments and optional exercises to do during the break gives students opportunities to understand the material and later perform better on tests.
Furthermore, with finals and Advanced Placement exams following both winter and spring break, it’s beneficial to take tests after those breaks because it’s easier to recall information that was recently tested on for those major exams.
While it is stressful to think about tests after the break, it is less stressful to take the test because students had time to study and prepare mentally and physically.
By Lylyan Yenson
Winter break is a two-week-long vacation for students to enjoy their respective holidays and spend time with their families. Unfortunately, relaxing and enjoying the holidays is difficult when teachers assign tests after a break. Not only do students miss out on the point of having a break from school, but they also have to study harder to remember what was taught before the break.
In classes with weighted grades, tests usually make up around 50% or more of students’ grades, thus there is pressure to study hard and do well on exams. When there’s a test after a break, many students end up stressed out during the break and use the time to study, which ultimately defeats the purpose of taking time off from school.
During breaks, students are encouraged to spend more time with their friends and families. They should be enjoying Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year and spring, but instead, spend some of their days with their heads in a textbook as if they weren’t on a break.
And for some students, the breaks from school are the only times they get to go to amusement parks, have parties and do other fun things because they’re too busy while school is in session. Rather than being holed up in their rooms cramming information, students should relax their minds as they enjoy their time with their families.
Students likely perform worse when they take tests after breaks because it’s hard to remember the information that was taught one or two weeks prior without consistently reviewing it, which takes time away from relaxing. If students have questions on the material, then they have to wait until after the break to talk to their teacher because teachers usually don’t check their emails as frequently.
Understanding the difficulties and stress that students go through during break to prepare for exams is important. Students should be able to breathe, sleep and enjoy themselves over their breaks, otherwise, they’ll come back exhausted and potentially be burned out.
