trnwired

The online news source for Prince George High School.

trnwired

trnwired

Column: Choices Students Make Beforehand Affect Exam Grades

By Faven Butler

With exams right around the corner, it seems like everyone is stressing about trying to remember everything they have learned from day one in all their classes. So far in my experiences the semester exams usually bring my final grade down a couple points.

Based on a survey that the staff conducted, 66% of students said they believe exams hurt their grade.

This is partially due to the fact that our exams count as 20% of our final grade. This brings to surface the hard truth that no matter how great you have been doing in a class, if you fail the exam, your previous effort may be a waste.

My past teachers usually spend a week reviewing the information I need to cover before their exam. Sixty eight percent of students do not think their teachers take enough time to review for exams.

Although some complain about not having enough time to review in school, there are a significant amount of people who do not take enough of their own time to study for their exams.

The choices we make will determine how bad or good we do on the exams. I believe it is the student’s job to take responsibility and study ahead of time or practice other test taking skills that will benefit them.

Whether the exams are fair or not, we are the ones who ultimately determine what our grade will be. Although we do not have the power to change the conditions we face, we can change the way we face them.

View Comments (7)
More to Discover

Comments (7)

Comments are Closed.
All trnwired Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest
  • C

    Curtis WilliamsMar 30, 2012 at 4:34 am

    Sometimes I do think exams are a bit much because of the simple fact that we have 7 classes, so that is 7 exams in one week: it’s a lot of information and it can be overwhelming. I feel like teachers are spending less time reviewing because you should remember but it is hard to keep all the subjects together. Sadly many students don’t take time to study and of course their grades show that. I don;t think teachers make the exams so challenging that the students can’t do them, but I think they should take our overall workload into account.

  • K

    Kayla BishopMar 30, 2012 at 3:59 am

    Exams are hard and we take them to show that all the stuff the teacher taught us just didnt go in one ear and out the other. I too feel that teachers do not review or take enough time to review for exams but i also know that i never take enough time on my on to study for exams. So to me thegrade you get on your exam most of the time will reflect the amount of preparation and work you put in for it. I thought the article was clear and easy to read and precise.

  • K

    Kayla HubertMar 29, 2012 at 7:13 pm

    Exams are a burden. It seems like teachers expect for students to cram months of information for multiple classes. Exams do not reflect work ethics, but more of a “can you remember all of this” type deal. It is easy to feel some what overwhelmed knowing that one has months of information to be responsible for in a matter of a couple of hours.

  • C

    Chloe AlexanderMar 29, 2012 at 7:03 pm

    This article brings up a great point: as much as we complain about exams, we really are wasting that time we could be preparing for the exams. I believe that it may be beneficial to have mid-terms the week before going on Winter Break. This would get rid of the 2 week time period that results in forgetting material. However, until that happens, we must accept that they are what they are, and ultimately it helps prepare us for college exams.

  • L

    Lindsay VargaMar 29, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    The point of an exam is to take everything you have learned throughout the semester and put it together in one big test. It is very overwhelming, but this is supposed to help you not forget anything from Day 1. This article brings out both sides of the argument. Students really need to take exams more seriously and take more time on their own to study up on the material.

  • J

    John ShumarMar 29, 2012 at 6:35 pm

    It does seem unfair that one exam could decide the fate of several months, but that is the way of the world. When college begins, the whole class may only have one or two big tests. Highschool is supposed to be preparing its students for college, and having exams that are worth high percentages is a good way to practice. And most teachers give a study guide that outlines what topics are going to be on the test anyways, so if a student is serious about getting a good grade on an exam, it can be done.

  • A

    Alex CrowderMar 27, 2012 at 10:49 am

    Exams feel like pain and no gain. Grades should not be dependent on one delicate test, when you take several over the grading period anyway. Exams should be less like normal tests, more special in a way and treated with dignity for their importance. Or we should just kick them to the cub like the useless things they are.