There has been much speculation that finals will be added to second semester following this year, and the response among students has not been particularly positive. While it is understood that the teachers want to assess their students on information learned in second semester, it seems that students, unsurprisingly, have a different outlook on the matter.

To many Marymount students, finals are unfair. Enormous, cumulative tests on a broad scale of concepts are sure to make one’s grade suffer. Students believe that the exams are installed by teachers for the purpose of dropping one’s grade.

As stated by a particular (anonymous) student: “Second semester exams would provide an unnecessary amount of stress, and most teachers have their own final projects, which are worth the same amount in points, so there is no reason to have them.”

Personally, I believe that implementing a final for the second semester is cruel, as students could work so hard all semester, and then their grade could be brought down because they are tested on too much information. An unnecessary, stress-filled exam would not benefit anyone. Especially those that also have to study for AP’s – is that not incentive enough to study hard during second semester?

Not to mention, the teachers would have the added responsibility of grading these exams, while the students themselves suffer significant levels of stress. The absence of second semester exams is a unique aspect of Marymount that many students appreciate and value – in fact, to some, it was a convincing reason to come to Marymount in the first place. Perhaps this debated topic will be re-considered in light of students’ valid opinions.