By Becky Swig ’15

Final exams, beginning December 18th, are right around the corner. These exams have traditionally been used to test what a student has retained over the course of the semester, but the effectiveness of them has been put into question. Final exams are an important part of a student’s academic career as it is their chance to show what they have learned. Some argue that finals are a great tool to see the connections made throughout the material, but others argue that an entire semester’s worth of material on one test can- not show a student’s understanding accurately.

The point of having a final exam is for a student to show to their teachers what they have retained from the course. ‘Its only at the end of the semester when you can make connections between all of the material,” Up- per School Director John Schafer said. The exams are designed to put together everything a student has learned, and to analyze the material as a whole. “For math it is a good way to tell if students were able to see the connections between the various topics and re- ally develop a strong conceptual understanding,” Mathematics Department Chair Danielle Jensen said. Teachers believe that exams are valuable because they demonstrate how a student is able to link topics together. “I think giving kids an opportunity to pull together what they have learned and demonstrate it is super important,” English Department Chair Erik Wessler said.

Students also agree with teachers about the importance of finals. “Final exams are a good way to sum up the semester. I can’t really think of any other way to show what you have learned,” junior Matt Myers said. While finals can be stressful, they are meant to give students the opportunity to prove what they have learned in the class

The method of the final exam varies from subject to subject. “In English it makes sense to write, but in science, engineering, etc., doing something with your hands is probably better,” Wessler said. The type of final depends on the material being covered be- cause certain things can be tested in specific ways.

However, some students prefer certain types of exams over others. “I prefer projects because I feel like you utilize more of the stuff you have learned,” sophomore Alexandra Walker said. Stu- dents often decide what type of exam they prefer based on what will create the most manageable workload. “I like how some classes do projects and some classes do tests so that you are not overloaded with stuff. It is nice to have the balance,” sophomore Jack Marren said