By Sophia Chen ’20, Staff Writer

The exams are coming up and stress is building within the Newark Academy community. Although it might seem as if summer was just a few weeks ago, our exams are this Monday. So as we get closer to exams, we see the effects of stress. An exam could be seen as a determining factor of our future, especially due to how heavily it is weighed upon our grade. However, as Newark Academy students, we learn to build up tolerance to stress through taking tests every single week to prepare for future assessments. This year, our exams are on math and science, arguably the most straightforward and transparent courses. However, despite this reassurance, there is still a lot of material to cover, so, as Thanksgiving break ends, so does our new transition into a school year.  

The winter exam grade is heavily weighted on our average and stands alone as a grade on our transcript. Such a critical exam can be a great source of stress for NA students and we have to find some method of coping with the stress. Although it is important for us to be assessed on our knowledge of the material we learned so far, it could be harmful to students who are not accustomed to coping with the anxiety that often accompanies a graded exam. Freshman Julisa Marcano said, “It believe it is important to be assessed on the material we learned but it is not representative of what we know.” Is it beneficial to have such a weighted exam? Stress isn’t healthy for students and students should maintain a balanced lifestyle. Some students aren’t properly prepared for taking such a weighted test and the stress could impact our grade.

However, 9th grader Sophia Ludtke provides an optimistic perspective on exams: “ I believe that the exams are going to go very smoothly so I am not worried. The teachers will be very supportive and help us with the exams.” Despite the fact that the exams weigh heavily on our average, our teachers work hard to help prepare us for the exam. It is important for us to recognize that the teachers are on our side and want us to succeed because it is a reflection of their excellence in teaching. So there is no need to worry. Despite the stress that exams could cause, managing this stress is key to our success in the future. This exam forces us to manage our stress and be better prepared for future assessments. To manage this stress, we should look at exams in a positive light. Since exams are a part of our experiences as students, our education would not be complete without them. All we can do is maintain a healthy lifestyle, get enough sleep and manage our time wisely. We need some degree of stress in order to develop and grow as students and,  although it may seem difficult at first to manage the stress, just know that the end result will be rewarding.