For many people, the weeks leading up to the holidays are full of seasonal candles, Mariah Carey, holiday movies, and gatherings with friends. However, for many students these weeks are also filled with the stress of more tests and assignments in the “pre-break cram” in an effort to get it all done before the celebrations begin.
“I feel kinda stressed and frustrated just because there are a lot of tests leading up to Winter Break and it gets tiring,” sophomore Georgia Jackson said. “It’s just a lot to balance and I mean this week alone I’ve 3 tests and I have more coming up. Sometimes it’s overwhelming because there are a lot of classes that schedule tests on the same day too.”
These extra quizzes, however stressful they may be, are inevitable during these three weeks.
“[There are so many tests leading up to break] because we’re required by the district to have a certain amount of tests every nine weeks,” physics teacher Jamie Berendt said. “So if those tests get pushed back they usually end up being squeezed into those last three weeks before winter break. Combined with the tests already planned for that time period, the tests can end up just piling up before Winter Break.”
Berendt recommends students to take the time to review the content before assessments to help alleviate some stress.
“So hopefully students were listening to the lesson to begin with, but in the case that they weren’t a lot of teachers have extra practices and the materials they went over in class linked on Canvas,” Berendt said. “But always study before an exam and don’t procrastinate assignments, because you don’t want to get to the day before and have three tests in the morning, all of which your not prepared for.”
Some students have established holiday study groups as a way of preparing for all the tests.
“I try to manage it all by studying with a couple friends once a week. We all get together and go over the stuff we’re learning in our class and it helps me feel more prepared because then when I go into a test I’ve already reviewed.”
If you’re looking for more prep tips for taking on the “pre-break cram”, then click on the infographic.
