why do we need school exams at semester ends
By moose8
@moose8 (483)
Canada
June 8, 2008 9:20pm CST
i havnt been able to understand why we need school exams. i mean we get unit tests througout the semester. but having a final test that could make or break us passing or failing the course just doesnt seem right. what if a student studied really hard to keep his passing grade but then the teacher put questions on the exam that she infact never taught the material so only the smart students will understand the questions. it seems a tad bit unfair to me. however i am just a high school students and i wantto know others opinions who have been throught high school. was the exams worth it in the long run. did it elp you understand for the future?
3 responses
@arlene05kang (277)
• South Korea
10 Jun 08
I think there are no teachers who will make an exam on which only those smart students knows the answer. Being bias to someone is not a good thing to do. One more thing, an exam can also reflect on how good the teacher is. If most of her/his students failed, it means that he's/ she's a lousy one. Just do your thing as a student. Review the things that was learned throughout the semester.
@OceanZealot (484)
• United States
25 Mar 09
That is sooo true! Most teachers don't design the test towards the smart kids. They want to see that the average student would get at least a C or above. And exams reflect both the student and teacher. There are some classes that I have been in where the students for the most part don't try or care and most of them failed. I mean some kids really don't care to even try. Most will just put their heads down from the very beginning and not even put their name on the test.
@Valenas (1507)
• United States
9 Jun 08
Several years ago, my high school had it to where first semester exams were required, and, if you had an A average all year in that class, you would not have to take the exam at the end of the semester. It gave the students a goal to work towards, and the students would actually keep up in class. Now they have changed it here to make all semester exams mandatory, and the students are actually doing worse. And the school has wondered why! For the lazy students, it was a motivation!
@OceanZealot (484)
• United States
25 Mar 09
Some schools, or some teachers still keep up that idea. It was a fantastic idea. Some schools even tried that if you got a higher grade on the exam that your class grade could go up. For the students that were more ambitious it was the perfect incentive. Or some teachers that I know, their incentive was that if you passed the semester exam and you were failing, they would bump you to the minimal passing grade. It showed that the student cared enough to put enough effort into something to pass the class.
@OceanZealot (484)
• United States
25 Mar 09
Overall, I always stressed my final exams. I would drink at least a whole pot of coffee morning because I had been up all night studying the night before; even though, I had known most of the information. It taught me a lot of life long lessons: don't wait until the last minute, keep up my grades, just being awake in class could let me pick up most of the valuable information that was going to be tested, time management, learn to study with friends, make flash cards, and how to properly study for each different type of teacher.
Final exams generally don't make or break you unless you totally bomb the test or you were on the border of failing the class. High school is simply the middle ground of moving you from being a child to preparing you to enter the real world. So in high school teachers try and groom you into being a better citizen, a good student, and a reasonable human being. Overall, if you have been respectable to your teacher (not a butt kisser, teachers really hate that)and showed that you have good study skill OR that you are really at least trying your best, you shouldn't fail the class. So no worries. Do your best. Study up a bit every night if you can. Maybe even ask your teachers what things they plan to put on their finals, and you should be fine!
Just remember that the week of final exams you should:
1. Get a good night's sleep.
2. Make flashcards and try and review them whenever you can.
3. Read the end of chapter reviews and you can pick up most of the content.
4. Don't stress the small stuff.
5. Wake up a few minutes early so you don't feel rushed.
6. Get everything packed up the night before so you don't forget anything.
7. Study with your friends a few minutes before the test.
8. Don't second guess yourself.
9. This will not determine the rest of your life....think about it, you don't ask the doctor what his High school grade point average is...do you?
Good luck to you. You will do fine. Just have confidence in yourself.
