Everybody hates finals. Nobody likes cramming for exams or hastily putting together a final project, but how necessary are finals? Is it beneficial for teachers to have a final assessment, or is it just something to fill time?
Fourth Former Liam French believes that, although necessary, we should designate one week for final exams, projects, or other major assessments.
“You shouldn’t be taking finals during [a regular school week] because, first of all, you’re swamped,” he explained. “This entire week I’ve been swamped with homework and studying for finals and four papers due in one week. Like that’s physically impossible. I’ve had no sleep.”
“Every other private school on the Main Line has a week dedicated to taking finals. You take one final a day, and then you go home, or you just hang out and do whatever, and that really alleviates tons of stress that students may have.”
Liam French ’25
Many upper school students would agree that finals week is a stressful time, but we’ve always made do. But has our school ever considered a different approach to its finals week?
French sees other Main Line schools as possible models for our own.
“Every other private school on the Main Line has a week dedicated to taking finals. You take one final a day, and then you go home, or you just hang out and do whatever, and that really alleviates tons of stress that students may have,” French said.
This approach could be the solution that students need to get through that last week of class.
