Finals have been on everyone’s mind this week. It’s a time of stress and sleepless nights spent studying. For students who have maintained good grades throughout the semester, a common question comes up: should finals be necessary? Many students wonder why they are required to take finals, especially if their grades are high despite poor attendance. In my opinion, if a student consistently turns in their work on time, stays caught up in their classes, and maintains a strong GPA, they shouldn’t have to take finals. This perspective stems from what I’ve seen and heard at our school. I’ve overheard students discussing this issue with Mr. Will, our principal, or venting their frustrations in passing conversations. Many argue that their grades already reflect their understanding of the material being taught, making finals feel like an unnecessary burden. Others express that the stress of finals doesn’t align with their academic efforts throughout the year. To address this, I propose a solution: allow students to skip finals if they meet certain criteria. For example, students who maintain good grades, submit their work on time, and have an attendance record that doesn’t exceed 15 absences in a semester—provided they have valid reasons for those absences, such as a note from a parent or guardian—should be exempt. This policy could serve as a motivator, encouraging students to take responsibility for their work and stay on top of their assignments. It would also reduce stress, anxiety, and even resentment toward the school, creating a more positive learning environment. Finals may have their place, but for students who have proven their mastery of the material, an exemption policy could reward their hard work and reduce unnecessary pressure.

Our school currently doesn’t even allow excused absences as a pass, despite having good academic standing. And to me this feels very unfair because even if you have a valid excuse for being absent you still will have to take finals.  This is very discouraging because if you were feeling very sick with a flu, then you would have to question if you will make the effort to go to school and possibly make others sick, which results in many others getting sick and missing school. And in worse cases some people are immunocompromised without others or possibly even them knowing and can become very sick.  Which can ultimately just end up hurting the school, since we somewhat rely on attendance for funding. Thus why finals shouldn’t have to be mandatory for those with good academic standing. Possibly our school may change their mind on this hopefully! Anyways I hope that everyone having to do finals, and everyone who didn’t have to have an amazing Christmas break!

Many people believe that final tests in school are unnecessary. I believe that they hold some significance in certain circumstances. 

Say a student has straight As and Bs, but they have missed plenty of school days due to illness or family matters. I believe that this student shouldn’t have to take a final test in their classes based on their grades. I believe this because, even though the student has missed days of school, they still have a really good understanding of the material taught in class. 

But, if you were to say there was a student who showed up to school nearly everyday, but didn’t have good grades in their classes, I would say they would have to take finals. Just because someone is at school, doesn’t necessarily mean that they are understanding the material given to them. This means that the final would be a good chance for them to boost their grades up instead of taking failing grades and redoing classes or even a school year. 

Students always say that finals are unnecessary. And sometimes, if it’s a student passing all of their classes, they are. But to a student who may not be passing all of their classes, it could be stressful thinking about having to retake a credit class. Finals give students the opportunity to boost their grades in specific subjects. 

I don’t believe that finals should be based on attendance and grades. There are plenty of students that pass their classes with flying colors, but have to take every single final because of attendance. I believe that whether a student takes finals or not should be based on grade alone, not how many days they have missed school.