LHS Midterms Recap
During the week of January 15th, 2024, Leonia High School students took their annual midterm exams. Midterms count for 10 percent of their grade and evaluate their understanding of what was taught in their classes throughout the first half of the school year. Many students dread this time of year due to the stress and hard work it takes to prepare for these exams. I took it upon myself to ask students at LHS how they feel about midterms.
It is a well known fact that students throughout LHS have different views regarding midterms. When asked what her opinion on midterms is, senior Daylin Martinez replied, “I hate them.” On a more positive note, junior Liv Meester stated, “I think midterms help you prepare for college.” Students were also asked what specifically it is that they don’t like about midterms. Junior Katerina Romanides replied, “I don’t like the anxiety surrounding midterms. The week before the exams is so stressful and the fact that they are worth 10% of your grade elevates that stress.” Additionally, Liv noted, “I don’t like how all my teachers gave me tests the week before midterms so I was unable to start studying for midterms until the weekend before.”
Preparing for the annual midterm exams can be very challenging. You must memorize four months worth of information taught in class in order to pass your tests. Due to this level of difficulty students have created different studying strategies that help them succeed. When asked what hers were, junior Minji Kim responded, “This year, I didn’t really have time to study for midterms so I chose the subjects that I think are really important and studied them mainly.” This strategy may work for some students, but other students use a different method. Freshman Grace Widensky stated, “It helps me to rewrite notes and make flashcards to study, I retain the information better this way.” These students were also asked what they would do differently when preparing for midterms next year and Minji replied, “To prepare better next year I can try to make notes or quizlets of units during the midterms every time I have tests, so I can know the key points easily and don’t need to spend lots of time making notes.”
Midterm week is a stressful time for everyone so finding your own way to prepare to reduce the stress and anxiety is the best way for students to succeed.
