Finals are coming up in less than a week, and teachers and students alike are preparing intensely for the following week. Finals can carry a great deal of stress on students, as they often make up a major portion of a student’s grade and can make or break one’s academic progress. However, a discussion has increased as to whether or not it makes sense to expect students to take finals after the remote-learning school year from 2020-2021. Some say that doing so is a necessary step to recover from the remote year, while others believe that doing so may be acting in haste. Math teacher Collin Hayes believes that finals should continue as normal.

“I think finals this year [are] going to be generally harder for students because they do not have all those open resource textbooks and the internet to help them anymore during the test,” Hayes said. “They will actually have to study properly. Still, I think it is necessary so that teachers can assess what their students have learned and fill in the gaps for the next semester.”

Some students disagree with this sentiment and believe that having to relearn all the topics of a semester in such a short period right before winter break can be stressful. However, according to junior Amanda Schmitt, there are ways to manage the amount of work one student may have.

“I think that although unconventional and unusual, the finals that we completed online still reflected similar formatting that finals will take this year. Freshmen, however, may find it difficult to adapt to the inevitable stresses that finals week can bring,” Schmitt said. “I would recommend taking study breaks, or utilizing any of the anxiety relief sources provided by the school, such as counselors and therapy dogs.”

Nevertheless, the reward of winter break following finals week will be an incredible relief for students. While studying intensely for finals is crucial, so is remembering to recharge and restore oneself during the upcoming winter break.

“Treat yourself afterward,” Schmitt said. “Whether it is a snack, some relaxation, or retail therapy, you deserve it. This year was incredibly difficult and out of the ordinary, so be proud of yourself for persevering through it.”