In the cold month of December, before winter break has started, students sit down and take the midterms. They have been preparing in advance, and teachers have been reviewing, making sure their students are prepared for this test. And once students put their pencils down, they must prepare to do it all over again in the late spring for finals.
Every year Revere High School (RHS) has midterm and final exams in order to assess the skills students have gained throughout the year. Both students and teachers have their own experiences and thoughts about such exams.
For the 2025-2026 school year, RHS changed its prior system of having midterms at the end of the second quarter. This year, midterms were administered before winter break, a change much appreciated by Spanish teacher Rachel Vanderground.
“We took the big exam, and then students went on break for two weeks. It was nice for the students to not have that hanging over their heads over break, and it was nice for the teachers as well because exams were done . . . [and] everything that needed to be taught before exams was finished as well,” Vanderground said.
This allowed people, like freshman Seymanthika Madiraju, not to feel any test-related anxiety over break, because they had already been taken and there was nothing that needed to be studied and remembered over break.
“I feel like break overall was more enjoyable because I wasn’t worried about forgetting what I learned before break,” Madiraju said.
While some find midterm season hectic and stressful, freshman Clark Wiesbrock found the whole process relatively simple and easy. Wiesbrock felt that the midterms were easier mentally for him because he felt they were not as difficult or impactful as finals.
“Midterms are usually easier, and they’re not over a whole year’s worth of information. . . . My brain just doesn’t find that as important. . . . I did not dread [midterms]. . . . It is not something to dread; it seemed pretty chill. The finals I’m dreading because I feel like they’re sneaking up on me,” Wiesbrock said.
While for some, midterms can seem easy and unintimidating, it is still definitely an event that students will dedicate their time to study for.
“For things like AP US History, I redid all my notes . . . I knew that [Mr. Fry] usually doesn’t give us too many things to study with other than a terms list. . . . For ELA I practiced multiple choice questions online. . . . Then for math I think I spent the most time. Our teacher posted like, seven reviews with, I think 40 or 50 questions each. I did each of them two or three times,” Madiraju said.
Vanderground is thankful, as a teacher, that RHS chooses to do midterms and finals, contrary to some other schools, because of how it helps her students retain information.
“Because world language is cumulative. . . . It forces students to go back and make sure they’re reviewing [and] . . . going back [and] reading in the information, so that they’re not forgetting it. . . . The exam lends itself to that method of instruction,” Vanderground said.
Taking exams like these let students develop crucial skills that they may later need in life.
“I know that there is discussion and there is debate surrounding midterms and finals in high school, and if they should be given, if they shouldn’t be given. I personally believe that they should be given; I think they should remain in our schools. I think it is good preparation for those who are attending college and those who are not attending college,” Vandeground said.
Wiesbrock, too, finds that taking exams helps him in the long run. The exams allowed him to boost his grades for the semester when they were not desirable. He is glad that midterms and finals are required at RHS.
“A few of them brought up my overall grade and will bring up my cumulative GPA,” Wiesbrock said.
For some, however, exams can be, while bearable, an unnecessary burden.
“I don’t like the idea of midterms and finals overall. . . . [but] I don’t have a problem with taking it. . . . We already did a bunch of material within the first two quarters and the last two quarters and we already have periodic assessments. Having another test I feel is unnecessary,” Madiraju said.
Vanderground appreciates being able to see the growth her students have made throughout the year, especially when it comes to speaking exams.
“Students are able to use the language and say things, and . . . it’s really encouraging. So seeing that growth is huge. It’s really rewarding,” Vanderground said.
Vanderground noted that studying throughout the year is very important when it comes to exams, especially when it comes to a class like Spanish. She offered a metaphor for what it is like to wait until the last minute to study.
“[Students] are trying to scoop up all that water, all the bucket of water with one sponge and it’s not going to work,” Vanderground said.
Even though Spanish is a cumulative class, Vanderground offers material to help students focus their studying when exams are near.
“We have a review, like a study guide, that we give students of what exactly is going to be on the test, and then we do certain activities and practices in class leading up to the exam,” Vanderground said.
Exams, while experienced by most at RHS, affect the people in the community in different ways. Some appreciate the opportunity, others find them unneeded, some dedicate hours to studying while still others may feel relaxed. Teachers prepare their students each time the exam season rolls around.
