I’m sure everyone dreads the most stressful part of the year. That time when you drink coffee, stress, and spend tiresome nights fighting the urge to give up. The well-known “Exam” season. Oof.
The end of May and start of June have been the exam period for secondary school students. Restless studying just to prove that you actually gained something from a whole year of learning. While exams absolutely have a reason for existing and are undoubtedly one of the most important parts of an academic year – how much good do they actually do to the very same students who are obliged to take them?
We asked students from various age groups around the La Grande Boissière campus what they themselves thought of it!
What do you think of exams?
“I hate them, but I’m glad they’re over. I’m ready to go home and do absolutely nothing.”
“I don’t mind, I mean, I’m pretty confident of what I might get – so yeah.”
“Exams are so annoying. I genuinely can’t stand the pressure and expectations especially from some teachers. I wish we didn’t have them.”
“I had to drink like 3 cups of coffee last night to even prepare myself for the [Y 10] math exam. In advanced they make you work so hard but I think I’m going to get at least a 6.5 so it’s okay.”
“Horrible. It’s my first year at this school, and I thought half-year exams were bad. This week was one of the worst weeks of my life and I’m not even overexaggerating.”
Do you think exams should be replaced? If so, what should be evaluated instead?
“I think participation in class should be evaluated over exams. It shows who really contributes to the overall class atmosphere and who shows interest in a specific subject matter. Besides, then I wouldn’t have to worry about focusing all my energy and attention on one single sheet of paper but rather spread it throughout the year.”
“No. I don’t like them much but I still believe it’s a good way to assess how well someone knows something. I think replacing it with something as efficient and as standardized would be very difficult.”
“I wouldn’t want them to be replaced. I’m good at studying and memorizing things so applying them in a different way would take time getting used to.”
“Maybe, depends on how they would be replaced. A presentation or a unique project would be cool. It would show how creative you actually are and that the things you’ve learned can actually be applied in real scenarios.”
Isn’t that interesting. I thought everyone hated exams – I do. Looks like there are indeed varied opinions which is always good. Well, exams or no exams, we’re done! So go on ahead and enjoy your well deserved rest. The hard part is over.
