At Mount Carmel, with its trimester curriculum, the dreaded time for finals occurs three times every year.  Each trimester, students display mixed emotions.  Some are thrilled for the opportunity to boost their grade, while others despise the test that may harm them.  There are two sides to every story, and that is no different here.

Finals are worth 20% of a student’s grade, which makes them a big deal.  Students who are on the verge of going from a C+ to a B- may welcome the potential upgrade finals create.  Latin teacher Dr. Jon Berry advocates strongly for finals, “They provide a great opportunity to show how much you have learned over the course of the trimester.”  Usually I side with this argument, because if you have been doing well so far, there is no reason to fear the final.  Of course, there are certain classes that are more stressful during finals week.

Mount Carmel junior Luke Kinsella agrees. “Doing well on your finals gives you a sense of accomplishment.  Students like Kinsella look forward to showcasing their intelligence and proving that they have learned a lot.

On the other hand, any student riding into finals with an A- or B- may be terrified at what might happen to their grade.  One small slip up on this test could cost them a whole letter grade. For someone who has worked extra hard all trimester to maintain a grade, finals pose a terrifying risk of losing the benefit of that effort.

A lot is riding on one seventy minute class period where just about anything can happen.  Another junior, Seamus Sjostrom, dislikes finals for many typical reasons. “Finals have too much information to cover in one seventy minute sitting.”  Many students would agree that it is hard to cram everything they have learned from the trimester into one test.

In between these two extremes are those that feel indifferent or switch back and forth in their opinions.  I know that when I take my finals, my feelings all stem from my current grade in the class.  If I am doing well and have the grade I was hoping to achieve, I do not want to take the final.  But, if my grade in a certain class is just below where I want it, finals are fantastic.  I then know that if I study hard enough and pace myself, I may be able to raise that grade.

My classmate Rudolph Melchiorre concurs.  “Finals are not a good judgement of a students work during the trimester, but they can sometimes be helpful.”

Whether you like it or not, finals are just around the corner.  If you prepare to the best of your ability, everything should turn out alright.