We all miss winter break, and every student at Green Level is itching to get the sleep we all need once again. But after the two weeks of rest, now finals loom. What if we were to change this aspect of school and take finals before break? 

Many students feel that break puts a damper of their “school mode.” Ava Jawney, a Freshman at Green Level, said, “[I feel] less prepared about finals because over break I’m going to forget things and start stressing out.” Over break, students are finally able to relax, and school is the last thing on many people’s minds. Most people forget things that are vital to the finals they will be taking in a few weeks. 

However, some people think that having finals after break gives students more time to study and prepare. Alexa Nestor, a Freshman at Green Level, stated, “[students are] more prepared if finals are after break because it gives you more time to study over break. I think most of the time you’re just relaxing during the break, but you can use the time to study and relax.”

Nestor might have a point for some students, but most students will not utilize their time wisely during the break. According to the Chicago Tribune, “While students are on break, they often don’t have the option of working face-to-face with a teacher and getting guidance from them. Students often have to suffer through their studying alone, hoping that they can figure everything out by themselves.” Students have a harder time understanding previous topics without their teachers’ guidance to help them remember things again. If we take it before break then students would be able to discuss information that they may not understand with their teachers. It is proven that students are more likely to study before the break because they have pressure from their teachers and parents to study, resulting usually in a better grade. 

If finals were given before winter break, students would have more forced opportunity to study, while over break students don’t feel the same push. Carla Loutfi, a Freshman at GL, said, “You would understand everything more because you wouldn’t forget anything over a break. Normally I feel like I need to learn something new after I get back from break, but instead we just have to review for finals and it’s very frustrating.”

Instead, we should set students up for success and take the big test before we leave to celebrate our holidays!

Note from Faculty Advisor: Exam schedules are dictated largely by the school calendar, which requires (per state law) that students be in school for a certain number of days and that school cannot start before late August.