It is the midpoint of December and there is one thing that every student at Solon High School has to prepare for– midterms. Assigned after the end of the first semester, midterms are worth 8% of a student’s grade. Full-year classes are required to hand out midterms, whereas semester classes don’t have them. As we approach midterms, how are the students feeling?
Freshman Ashrita Puranam is taking five midterms. To study, she goes over the study guides and notes that the teacher gives. She said that midterms don’t really interfere with her personal life and that she is willing to study and sacrifice her free time if it means getting a good grade.
“I usually go over the study guides, notes that the teacher gives and something that they think is important,” said Puranam.
Sophomore Daniil Grisun is taking five midterms as well. He said that even though he cares about his midterm, he is not really stressed about it since he already knew he was going to have it. Despite this, Grisun said that midterms will really affect his life since it’ll take a lot of time out of his day to study due to its significance.
“I look over past material that my teachers may have given out plus the packets they’re gonna give out to study. and I go online to look over Khan Academy and other websites,” Grisun said.
Junior Julia Godalevich is taking four midterms. Midterms will affect her personal life, she said, due to them requiring a lot of studying compared to normal tests. However, she said she is determined to get a good score.
“I care quite a bit about it because at the end, it could affect my overall grade at the end of the year and if I get a better midterm grade, then my grade at the end of the year would be higher,” she said. “To study, my teachers usually do a lot of review during class, but my main way of studying is going through all my notes and making my own study guides and going off of those.”
Senior Alyssa Rhee has seven midterms. She says that midterms will affect her personal life such as spending time with her family and decorating for the holidays. However, she has to get a good midterm grade due to her college plans.
“I kind of have to [care], because the midyear reports go out to colleges and the midterm counts as 25% of my multivariable calculus grade, because it’s really one of CSU’s finals,” Rhee said. “I look over old course material and use a textbook if applicable [to study].”
English teacher Nanci Bush advises students to pay close attention to whatever the teacher gives as a review guide. For AP students, she advises students to go back to the Progress Checks and look back at the skills they are lacking and go review the AP Classroom videos for them. She also tells students to not stay up all night to study as she said that it is better to get a good night’s sleep. In her experience, people who pull all nighters typically score low on the midterm. For those who said that the midterms interfere with their personal life, Mrs. Bush has a tip.
“I’m curious about whether it is because they are studying late at night and can’t do fun things in the evening beforehand or whether it’s because of the time of day,” Bush said. “I think what they could do to regain part of their personal lives could be to make a plan for after midterms. After midterms are done each day, have a plan that you’re gonna have fun with your friends or treat yourself to a movie. Plan the fun thing for after each day of midterms to have that kind of break and give yourself kind of a reward.”
Guidance counselor Rick Nowak said that even though midterms are only 8% of their grade, students should still put in their best effort into it.
“I think every percentage point matters,” Nowak said. “When I have kids come in and they say that it’s only two points for homework and they should just fail it, I say no because every single thing matters and if you get into the habit of wanting to fail things, I think that gives you a pattern or a habit for life. I think you should put your best foot forward in all that you do even if it’s only 8% of your grade.”
