There are many reasons as to why midterms are necessary and unnecessary. Soma Mantra has mentioned that many people think of midterms as an advantage to their grades because they allow them to improve their academic performance and overall grades. I personally agree with her point of view on midterms and finals because even elementary and middle schoolers do not have to take finals, and their grades don’t even matter as much as ours. Our high school grades matter even more, yet high school students are still forced to take midterm and final exams. When instead there could be a moment for all of us students to take a break from schoolwork, they only make our lives harder and more stressful by taking advantage of the period in which we could have off.

Another reason people should ban midterms and finals is because these exams take place on the week of a holiday in January, which occurs right after Christmas. Although midterms benefit people’s learning, they also disadvantage their free time, grades, and mental health. Another reason this is so stressful is that you could start with a perfect grade for both of the first 2 quarters. Then, the worst-case scenario is you get a zero for the midterm. You could then get a perfect score for the final 2 quarters. In the worst-case scenario, after the final quarters, you could get a zero on the final, resulting in your final grade going down from 100% to 80%. This expresses that having midterms and finals involved during your academic performance and scoring as low as you could possibly score could have a major impact on your academic performance and grades, leading to many stressful academic careers.

Furthermore, a senior at Ipswich High School, Max Jones, expresses that “Midterms and finals are very stressful. Reviewing so much material from all of your classes at once is very challenging.” More specifically, Max Jones demonstrates that studying for multiple classes at once in less than a week can be challenging for many students and can lead to stress throughout one’s academic career. Additionally, Addison Pillis, a senior at Ipswich High School, expresses the fact that “I think midterms and finals are difficult and very stressful but are also important for teachers because these exams allow them to check the understanding of their students based on all the material covered in the first half of the school year.” Furthermore, Addison Pillis demonstrates that midterms may be difficult and stressful; however, it tests all students’ understanding of the material the teacher taught them throughout the year. Max Jones also expresses, “Personally, I don’t like midterms and finals, as they cause a lot of stress and require a ton of hard work with little time for rest.” More specifically, Max Jones argues that midterms can have major stress on many students, causing them to lose the opportunity to rest after the hard work they had dedicated beforehand.

Mrs. Collura expresses the fact that “I personally do not like Midterms and Finals because they are stressful and difficult for many students. It is very strenuous work and requires a lot of studying, but I understand they are important.” Also, Mrs. Collura states that students having midterms can be beneficial but stressful at the same time because it helps them be tested for the knowledge they have attained throughout the year. Max Jones says, “I think I would prefer banning midterms and finals because they cause a lot of stress since you have so much material to review simultaneously. That said, I understand that the purpose of midterms and finals is to reinforce the material learned over the semester. In this way, I think these exams are important because they allow us to show that we understand the material and can put it together as a whole. However, I wonder how much these tests help students remember the material over a longer period? For example, I don’t think I would do very well on a biology test if I took it today, as I took that class three years ago. In that way, I’m not sure sit-down tests help in the long term, but they work in the short term. I would still rather have midterms and finals banned from a student perspective.” Addison Pills also expresses that “I would prefer not to have midterms and finals, but I understand their importance. They are necessary, and as much as our high school experiences would probably be better without them, we have to do them. Midterms and finals in high school better prepare us for finals in college.”

In conclusion, midterms and finals can majorly impact one’s academic performance. Although some students have different points of view on banning midterms, I prefer to ban them because they are unnecessary for one’s educational career and put much stress on those students who care about receiving successful grades throughout their academic career. I urge educators and administrators to consider the potential negative impact of midterms and finals on students’ mental health and academic performance.