Owen Harrington, Staff Writer
February 9, 2024
Emotions always run high towards the end of the second quarter. Seniors are waiting on early decision results, winter afternoon programs are in full swing, and everyone is just holding out for a relaxing winter break. There is, however, one major obstacle that stands in the way of this three-week respite: final assessments. For years, these essays, oral exams, and tests have consumed students’ lives for the final two weeks of the semester. This year, we were expected to complete the usual assessments while also balancing a normal school schedule after the elimination of exam week. This came as a shock to many returning students who had become accustomed to the old style of exam days, where no classes would take place, and students were only required to complete their assessments. The removal of these days elicited strong reactions from across the school community, while the administration’s reasoning behind the changes went mostly unshared.
An overwhelming theme among students’ reactions to the new system was the reduction in study time for these assessments compared to previous years. Andrew Humphrey (Class III) said, “Now we still have exams, but they are mixed in with other classes. That means that we need to study for those tests while also doing regular homework and going to class.” Lauren Velasco (Class II) shared a similar sentiment saying, “Exam days gave more time to focus on one exam, and I felt more prepared because it was the only thing on my mind.” Forcing students to deal with classes as well as exams may also result in adverse effects on their assessment performance. Cristobal Zuluaga (Class III) said, “I prefer the old exam days because they created less stress, and I could focus on fewer classes each day.”
Another major complaint about the new schedule among students focused on the content of classes after their respective assessments had been administered. Many students stated that these classes were unproductive and spent more time studying for remaining assessments than learning new content. Humphrey said, “We just didn’t have anything to do during those last couple of classes…even if there was content to cover, most people wouldn’t focus on it.” Jade Qian (Class I) went as far as to say, “Classes after exams are done just feel like a waste of time.” Humphrey and Qian’s opinions seem to represent much of what the community felt during these final days of school.
While the removal of exam days seemed like an extreme change this year, it is a natural progression after the elimination of the final cumulative exams that took place up until a few years ago. Upper School Director of Studies Shannon Clark said, “We used to have cumulative exams at the end of both semesters, and we needed to set aside dedicated days for assessment so that they actually had time to study…Then we decided, okay, it’s still too much. We’re going to cut back to unit assessments instead of cumulative exams.” These unit assessments were no different than those administered during school days throughout the semester, yet they had their own assessment days, which remained from the days of cumulative exams. By eliminating designated exam days, these final unit tests became even more like normal mid-semester assessments that we are all accustomed to.
The new schedule also played a significant role in informing the administration’s decision to shift away from exam days. Clark said, “When we moved to this schedule, the number of times a class will meet in a semester has shrunk. And we were mindful of that.” In order to compensate for this, classes were added back into the exam days, giving classes enough time to meet each semester. Although these final classes tended to be less productive, they still allowed many teachers to cap off the semester in a more effective way than was possible in previous years.
As with any major change to the school community, there is going to be disagreement over its implementation. I personally loved the old exam days and missed them dearly this year. Once you were done with your tests, they were some of the most fun and festive days of the year. You could finally take a deep breath and relax as you turned your mind to the upcoming holiday season. There was an overall cheer on campus that cannot be easily replicated. It is sad to think that new generations of Nobles students will not know the feeling of those days, even if they are no longer required for the unit assessments we have under the new schedule.
(Graphic Credit: Wudiana Fervier)
