The fourth marking period marks the final stretch for students, as they eagerly inch another day closer to freedom. What students tend to forget about, is the long testing process prohibiting their free ride to the end of the school year.
This year particularly, Juniors have undergone the most testing out of all grades. Juniors have to endure various academic tests such as AP exams, SAT’s, NJGPA, State Testing, as well as HHS’s end of the year EMPA’s, and not to mention their regular class tests intertwined with standardized tests, like IReady.
Juniors are currently entering ‘the ring of fire’, before they are able unlock their superior senior year. During peak finals season, I took to the HHS hallways, to interview current AP Academic Juniors on their test taking experience this year.
QUESTIONS:
What are your thoughts on the current junior testing schedule this marking period?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: Honestly, it has been a lot. As a student who prioritized taking AP exams in hopes to gain college credits, it feels really stressful being thrown into state testing as well as iReady immediately after it, especially with other tests such as the SATs coming up.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: I am not happy with the changes that were made to the testing schedule this year. I think the old schedule (allowing students to have a half-day) was much better considering it gave students time to leave the building and take a small break. This new schedule only allows a break for seniors and sophomores.
HHS Junior, Hailey Paladino: My thoughts are that it is very frustrating, yet important. I do not believe it benefits us academically because it just frustrates and complicates the day further, adding stress to an already stressful school year.
How has the current testing schedule affected you as a student?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: Earlier in the year it limited my AP classes from getting to all of the material, and now that AP testing is over I was looking forward to getting that extra hour in the afternoon from our old schedule after state testing to catch up with my friends after weeks of prep work.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: It has added more stress to an already stressful year. With junior year being such a test heavy school year I was looking forward to leaving an hour early but now that has been taken away.
How has the current testing schedule affected you mentally? Would you say beneficial or unbeneficial?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: It’s been a lot due to everything that comes with it, I would say unbeneficial.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: The current testing schedule is not beneficial for me or students around me mentally. It’s another mental burden on top of the other many things going on this year.
Do you think the numerous different forms of testing have an effective role on student’s education?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: yeah, even though it feels a bit more stressful as a student who is trying to gain college credit.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: Yes, the numerous tests have taken away so much valuable class time that could have been used learning real information rather than taking standardized testing that many students don’t put real effort into. I could have used the time we spent standardized testing to focus on AP Material.
Do you believe tests accurately reflect a student’s knowledge?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: I get very nervous under test pressure and often feel that I do not perform as well as I could have in preparation for the larger tests.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: No, many of the tests given have material that students aren’t taught in the classroom. Testing is also a higher stress environment especially when you add a time requirement…. So students care more about getting it done than doing their absolute best.
HHS Junior, Hailey Paladino: Tests do not accurately depict a person’s mental ability and intelligence because they are programmed to work for one set of children, even though not everyone works and thinks the same
Do you feel students are given enough to prepare for testing?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: Somewhat. Personally, however, I felt I had to sacrifice a lot to prepare for AP tests, I even missed school one day due to being behind on work.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: No, I do not feel there is not enough time to prepare for all the different forms of testing on top of learning all the information in the curriculum
How do you balance your homework regular classes, extra curricular, studying during testing?
HHS Junior, Emma Olah: It has been extremely busy and I feel I haven’t been able to manage it well.
HHS Junior, Bella Figueroa: It is very difficult to balance homework, classes, extra curriculars, studying, and work all at once. Many times throughout the past months I’ve seen myself sacrificing things that are important to me because I simply don’t have enough time to complete everything. This time of the year I do not have any free time or breaks and it gets to a point where it’s too much.
HHS Junior, Hailey Paladino: It is impossible to balance work outside of school, as well as family life white also prioritizing studying for numerous different tests that timelines overlap.