In and outside of educational institutions, the true benefits of final exams continue to spark debate. Finals week can be a very stressful time for students. Many students can experience elevated stress levels, sleep deprivation, burnout, and loneliness, which impact exam performance and overall wellness, according to honorsociety.org. Final exams can have positive effects on students because they teach them to make smart decisions when balancing school, sports, and a social life. This is a key skill for mastering time management and is especially helpful in college. Finals can also help students learn to manage stress, limited time, and heavy workloads, according to psychologytoday.com.
While some see finals as helpful, others argue that the stress they cause outweighs their academic value. Stress can also manifest in physical ways, with some students experiencing headaches and fatigue, leading to a decline in performance, according to psychologytoday.com. Mrs. Bonnie Jean Teitleman, Director of the Faculty and Staff Assistance Office at Boston University, mentioned that the physical effects of finals stress can cause tightness in the chest, rapid heart rate, butterflies in the stomach, and restlessness, according to bu.edu.
Finals can help students prepare for future midterms and exams in college, while also building skills like balancing multiple responsibilities at once according to psychologytoday.com. Junior Olivia Franco shared her thoughts on the role that exams play as part of the high school experience.
“I’m not sure if there is a better way to assess all of the years’ knowledge,” Olivia said. “Honestly, I think that it is smart to have a final because, after all, we are going to have midterms and finals in college. However, I think that schools can work to do better to prepare students for finals so they can accurately display all of the hard work and hard-earned knowledge they have gained throughout the year.”
Some of the emotional side effects of stress include difficulty concentrating, negative thoughts, and unpleasant feelings of apprehension, dread, or shame. To counter finals stress, students can utilize positive self–talk and visualize how they will feel when the finals are over, according to bu.edu. Mr. Kevin King, Upper School History Teacher, shared his opinion on the role of finals as a critical means of assessment.
“Every teacher wants their students to learn for the long-term,” Mr. King said. “We all hope that our classes make a deep impact on our students. A well-designed cumulative final exam is one thing that we can use to help our students consolidate their learning from the year and carry it forward. The process of studying for a final exam is not only essential for success on the test but also a great way to aid students’ long-term memory of the course material. That is why I think final exams and the studying that comes with them are both highly valuable.”
Finals exams can be great ways to showcase what students have learned throughout the year, but they can also have negative impacts on students’ mental and physical health. Olivia commented on whether she felt like finals had more negative effects on her mental health compared to regular types of assessments.
“I find that finals are significantly more stressful than other assignments,” Olivia said. “The main reason I feel this way is because finals require you to study a large, in-depth amount of information in the short amount of time teachers give students to review between finishing their lessons and giving their final. This means most students need to start studying for their final before the curriculum has even finished.”
Featured Image by Tori Kniffen ’28
