The Impact of Finals on High School Students and Their Performance
As the semester comes to an end, high school students brace themselves for the stress of finals week. These exams often determine a large percent of their grade can cause major anxiety and emotional stress. To understand how finals affect students, I spoke to several high schoolers about how it affects them.
Justice Burrell dreads the finals week “I hate it I don’t want to come to school” she says The stress is overwhelming and her absences increase as she struggles with depression “It makes me more depressed making it hard to focus” she admits She feels isolated from her peers as they are all focused on their own finals The pressure weighs her down “The more I’m pressured, the harder it gets to perform well,” she says, noting that the disconnect between classroom lessons and the finals makes them even more difficult.
Noah Pierce shares the same feelings of anxiety “I feel anxious and nervous like I’m not prepared even if that’s not true” he explains. The stress leaves him unmotivated and disconnected often just staying at home instead of engaging with others “It’s hard to be motivated and excited to perform well” he says For Noah the weight of finals feels overwhelming as each exam is both important and difficult “It’s very stressful” he says adding that the tests often seem disconnected from what he’s actually learned in class.
Allie Perez experiences intense pressure too, but finds some peace in the support of her friends “I feel scared and nervous because I feel like I’m not going to pass” she says. The stress affects her emotional state making her feel rushed and overworked. “It makes me feel like I’m dying the whole week” she admits. regardless of this Allie isn’t completely alone her friends help her cope. However, the pressure is still very impacting “If I mess up I feel like I will fail” She does see value in finals though viewing them as a test of everything she’s learned.
From Justice to Noah to Allie, it’s clear that finals week is much more than a test of knowledge it’s an emotional and mental challenge The pressure, fear of failure, and disconnection from others make it a stressful time for many students. While support from friends helps some cope, the disconnect between classroom learning and the final exams adds to the stress. Ultimately, it’s clear that finals week is more than just an academic hurdle, it’s a period that affects students well being and mental health.
