It’s 7:40 am. A dreadful atmosphere fills the hallways of West Ottawa High School as students crowd the hallways finding their way to class for exams. Exam week is the most dreaded week for students.
“Exam week stresses me out,” Grey Espinoza said. A student from West Ottawa. Another Jr. student at WO, mentions how exam week adds more stress to their life. “Exams make me feel stressed; I always feel drained, which makes it harder to study for my other exams,” said Morales. Stress seems to be a common feeling WO students share during exam week. But other than exams, what else adds to the stress of the students?
“What do you find stressful about exam week?”
“Exams itself and how prepared I am for it,” Espinoza said. A Jr attending West Ottawa High School.
“I feel the pressure of keeping my grades up,” Morales said—another Jr. at WO.
“Teachers are constantly talking about exams, and the study packets some teachers give out to turn in before the exam are all so stressful,” Sophia Rodriguez said, Another junior student at West Ottawa High School.
It’s clear that not just the exams cause the stress, but also the work that comes with it. Finding time to study, ensuring you’re not staying up too late, and getting some sleep. Ensure you submit your missing assignments and study packets before the exam deadline. Another common feeling shared among students is being overwhelmed.
“Do you feel like you can balance your life schedule during exams?”
“I can’t balance my life schedule, I’m also a runner so that takes up a good chunk of my schedule, unfortunately, I can’t continue my daily routine because I have to find time to study,” said Jane Olney, a Sr. at West Ottawa High School.
“Sort of, there are times where I get overwhelmed,” said Espinoza.
“No, I spend most of my days in and out of school studying,” said Morales.
It’s clear how students feel about exam week. It’s stressful and draining. But what can change to relieve some of the stress and pressures of exam week? Well for starters, Teachers can play a part. Many students agree they’d like to start reviewing for exams sooner the last three days before exams.
“Giving more prep time and letting the teachers have more time to review the materials for the exam would be nice.” Said Rodriguez. “I don’t feel like I ever have enough time to study and cram everything during review days before the exam, I need more time ahead of time.” Adds Morales.
Besides getting more time to study in advance, Many students think teachers could lessen the workload. That means not giving out ridiculously long packets and having them due before the exam day deadline. This puts 10x the pressure on students. Not only do they have to study day in and day out, but they also have to ensure they have time to finish a due review packet. Another important factor is self-care. Learning how to take care of yourself mentally and physically during exam week. Don’t burn yourself out, take breaks in between and treat or reward yourself after a long day of studying or taking exams. And most importantly having faith and confidence in yourself.
