As the morning chill begins to last all day, and a dash of peppermint is added to the morning coffee, it is clear that winter has arrived! And with that comes the dreaded “finals week.” Annually, the week before winter break is when peak stress levels among students are reached. With two final exams each day, some students are already starting to prepare. Whether their teachers are transitioning from learning new material to reviewing the semester or taking it upon themselves to gather old notes, this is not a bad idea. Final exams typically encompass all the work and material taught from the whole semester, and this can seem quite daunting.
We dread it every year. The 3rd week of December always comes up, creeping around the corner. Just hear what Senior Gabby Sosa has to say about finals week: “Wait, are you joking? It’s the week after the next one? Omg, please tell me you’re lying. I can’t do this right now,” she says as she walks away from the conversation. For those 89.99 percenters, this is their last chance to get their grade up, a factor people forget about. Senior Connor Krost says, “I’ve been putting off getting my grade up for so long now because it always felt like I had a lot of time, but now it’s clear to me that I don’t, and I have to start working overtime now.”
But before the panic sets in, take a deep breath. Finals week does not have to be a terrible experience. Studying in manageable chunks in the weeks leading up to the finals can help! Do not try to tackle an entire semester of material in one sitting. Instead, focus on one subject or topic at a time, and set specific goals for each study session. Flashcards, review guides, and review videos can help cement key concepts. Reaching out to teachers and classmates can also help students to grasp certain materials that they are struggling with. Finals Fiesta is also a great resource for many CdMHS students. On the Sunday before finals, teachers can choose to open their classrooms and provide some last-minute help for their students. This is a great way to ease some pre-test nerves and feel extra prepared! El Ranchito will also be catering the event, with food in each classroom, making it a fun experience to close out the first semester. With a little planning and effort, those mountains of notes and material can start to feel more like anthills.
For seniors, this finals week may feel a little different—it is their last real one. The second semester has its fair share of assignments and tests, but by then, college applications are in, AP tests are over, and the pressure lightens us. This is the last time in their high school career that they will face a full study week of preparing for exams before winter break. It may be bittersweet. Senior Kaitlin Prendergast shares this sentiment, as she “cannot wait to be done with high school finals forever. But this semester went by so fast, and it is scary to think how close graduation is”. For many seniors, this final stretch is a mix of nostalgia and relief, with the looming promise of college or other post-graduation plans adding an extra layer of motivation, or for some, procrastination.
Finals week might feel like a start that hits right before the calm of winter break, but it is also a chance to finish the semester strong and end with the best grades possible. Whether it is the first or last finals week of high school, preparation, focus, and self-care are the keys to success. So, grab a coffee, go to the library, open Quizlet, and be comforted by the fact that winter break and the start of a new year are right around the corner. Good luck, students!