Midterms are right around the corner for EHS students. But while they are meant to be opportunities for growth and learning, midterms also cause great stress.
Freshman Kiley Clagett is not looking forward to midterms.
“I’m definitely not excited for them,” Clagett said. “There hasn’t been much discussion from [teachers] yet, so I feel like I don’t know a lot. Also, it’s not very convenient that a break is right before midterms…you’re just gonna forget a lot, and then you only have one week before to prepare for every class.”
Clagett wasn’t the only student who has feelings about the break before midterms. Freshman Adeline Butterly struggles with the anticipation of it all.
“The break before is a big contributor to that,” Butterly said. “It’s like a calm before the storm. It might be hard to relax over break knowing the week after will be super busy.”
Freshman Julia Arendt sees the break as an opportunity.
“It’s great. I’m nervous, but not very stressed because I have time to study over break,” Arendt said. “Honestly, I think I’d be more nervous for [midterms] if there wasn’t a break.”
Aside from break, interviewed students were also asked about their means of preparation and how they feel their teachers can help make prep easier.
Junior Maeve Ennis prepares by using reviews or study guides.
“They [study guides] are usually good at overviewing what else you need to study,” Ennis said. “I also use flashcards on topics I feel a bit less certain about to feel fully prepared.”
Junior Nadia Glod also uses study guides that teachers may provide.
“The study guides teachers give out are really helpful,” Glod said. “But it would be better if some of them were released earlier. I feel like I haven’t been given enough time for certain classes to prepare before.”
Whether you feel having a break before midterms is helpful or not, it’s ultimately up to the individual student to figure out how to handle midterm stress.
“Midterms are challenging,” Glod said. “No one is a fan of them. But honestly, teachers have always been pretty supportive, and that makes the exams easier. Sure, there’s a lot of stress, but I find they’re not bad if you’re just prepared.”
