By Babiha Kaur, Staff Writer
River Hill juniors, sophomores, and freshmen have never taken final exams before, and now that the end of the 2021-2022 school year is approaching, everyone will have to do so. Although the tests will take place in two weeks, it seems that everyone has different study methods.
Many classes have already started preparing for finals. Junior Vianne Stanford states, “There are really only two modes: there are the classes that are continuing on, just adding more content, just chugging along, and then there are the ones that are basically all entirely work days with enough assignments to constitute actually having class instead of just being a study period.” Every class has been doing something different for finals. Some of Vianne’s classes, like AP Calculus AB, have been going through new units. A few of her other courses, like English AP, are having work days and projects.
Some teachers have given students study guides for review. Freshman Victoria Salicru shares, “I’ve gotten review packets in topics that are going to be on the final tests. I’ve also gotten practice problems, and in my math class, every day we’re studying one topic and one unit, we’re reviewing it, and there’s homework that night.” Victoria also comments that some of her other classes haven’t started reviewing yet, but she is hoping that they get on it soon. Similarly, freshman Alyssa Young believes that study guides have been “really helpful” because she is able to go over all of the topics. Each class has been approaching review in different ways.
Because some classes haven’t started reviewing yet, students have started preparing independently. Alyssa comments, “I’ve been going over the study guides I’ve gotten for the classes like Biology and Spanish. Usually on the study guides it says the units we really need to study, like notes, warm ups, labs, stuff like that. I also use Quizlet, which is really helpful.” Victoria shares, “I’ve prepared in the ways that they’re teaching us in class, whether we’re doing assignments, or if they give us homework to do, that’s the only time I’ll do it at home. Whatever they assign is just what I do.” There are many different ways to prepare for finals, and students are figuring out what works best for them.
Lots of students are nervous for finals because they have never taken them before. Victoria expresses, “I feel a little bit rushed, but I think that once all my classes start getting in the groove, then I’ll be able to figure out how I want to study and I can space out the time, and now I’m having less homework. It’ll be just enough time.” Although it is hard to figure out how to study, Victoria feels that she will be able to make time to prepare. Sophomore Hallie Goldstein, however, is indifferent to having finals. She states, “I’m not upset that we have them because it’s a really foundational skill to be able to study for all these tests.” She feels “okay” with having them because she has calculated the grades that she needs.
Although they are important, finals are not the only things that students are nervous about for the end of the school year. Vianne is almost on her way to becoming a senior and finishing off her public school career. Because of Covid, this is her first full year attending River Hill in person, but next year will already be her last year of school. She shares that the end of the school year approaching is “a bit of a mixed bag.” She elaborates, “It’s the dichotomy of: ‘the school year’s ending, yay we’re all without school, oh gosh, next year’s the last year of school.’ So it’s fun, it’s great, I’m happy it’s happening, but there is that little bit of fear and sadness of the times are changing.”
Victoria, however, shares a positive perspective on the school year ending. She expresses, “I’m also kind of excited for finals because I just want to test my knowledge, and I’m more dreading the study part versus taking the actual tests.” Victoria also comments that there is less homework in some of her classes, which allows her to make her own study plans and see what works best for her.
With the last day of school only two weeks away, students are making time to finish up their studying. Although finals are never fun exams to prepare for, everyone is trying their hardest to end off this year with stellar grades. Hopefully their hard work will pay off!