Are Midterms the Right Move?

The days of cramming for quarterlies three times a year are over at GRHS, as the administration has decided to make the switch to midterms. 

Most students currently at GRHS have only been at the school long enough to take part in the quarterly system, so midterms will be an entirely new experience. Despite never having taken midterms before, many students already have strong opinions on the situation. 

“I’m grateful to have midterms this year,” said Jacob Chang, a high achieving Glen Ridge sophomore. “It means shortened days, only testing once a year, and better preparation for college tests.” Jacob brings up a good point. Midterms will each be two hours, which is similar to the length of an AP, SAT, or college exam. In the past, many GRHS students have entered their SAT and AP tests with limited experience with long tests. By having midterms, they will be better prepared to enter these high pressure scenarios and perform better. This is one of the most significant benefits of midterms. 

On the other hand, Alex Van Wayenberge is not happy about the school’s decision. “There’s no way we can be effectively prepared for so many tests each covering five months of material,” he said. “It’s a good idea in concept, but in reality it’s just going to mean re-memorizing information that we weren’t taught well in the first place.” Alex echoes the concerns of many students. It is a sad reality that much of high school consists of teaching to the test, meaning that grades are prioritized over effective learning. Students may not gain much from midterms, but will suffer greatly from the pressure to cram for so many different tests in one week. Furthermore, midterms could hurt students’ grades. If a student does badly on this one test, their semester grade could drop significantly. These issues have led most students to dread the tests coming in January. 

No matter how the student body may feel about midterms, they are inevitably coming soon as the second marking period draws closer and closer to an end. Hopefully, if students voice their concerns to the administration, efforts can be made to combat these issues. But for now, it’s time to get studying.