The COVID-19 pandemic was devastating to all people, across not just the nation but the world. Every aspect of our daily lives was uprooted and shifted to adapt to the effects of a global pandemic. Unfamiliar to us, the last global pandemic was over 100 years ago, the Spanish Flu of 1918.

Schools lost in-person instruction, and students struggled to gain knowledge as a result. Because of this issue, most high schools canceled their midterm and final exams, feeling students did not get the best educational experience that they could have received. Therefore, making it unfair to administer such significant tests. Spring-Ford High School participated in this cancellation during the 2020-2021 school year.
With the return to in-person instruction for Spring-Ford students this year, the administration decided to reintroduce midterms.

The reaction went as expected. Some students were surprised and upset, as only two weeks before the test dates, there were about 400 student absences and so many teachers out sick. As a result, the district went virtual for two days, while neighboring districts stated their cancellation of midterms for yet another year.

Students wondered if this proved ample preparation for these exams, which account for 10 percent of your final grade.

As a senior, I had not taken any type of midterm or final exam since January of my sophomore year, 2020. That was two years ago.

The time is right this year to return to exams. While the news of midterms returning was surprising, and I was not excited to take these exams, I put my personal feelings aside.

However, there are more important things to consider.

For those attending college after graduation, they must be aware that a college education comes with guaranteed midterms and finals. Whether I agree with the idea of testing or not, It is imperative to think practically and realize that students going into college must be prepared to work hard and take big tests.

Administering similar tests in high school is only helping us prepare because whether we like it or not, or whether or not we agree with testing to this extent, there is no escaping these tests next year when college finals come around.

So my question is, wouldn’t you rather be prepared?

Wouldn’t you rather show up to your first final in college confidently navigating through the exam instead of being blindsided by the amount of material on the test?
I recognize that this viewpoint is not what many of my peers would like to hear, as it is an unpopular opinion. However, I believe it is important to think practically, and in terms of our future, not in terms of our emotions and personal feelings about preparation, memorization, and sitting down to take a test for an hour and a half.
In the long run, most of us will never enjoy taking midterms or final exams, but that does not make them any less vital in preparation for the traditional college path.
After all, midterms week is not all that bad. During the week, students are only required to come into school for anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours to take only one or two tests per day.

I don’t know about everyone else, but getting to sleep in and/or leave school by 11 a.m. is more than enough to get me on board with midterms.