Effect of Final Exams on Teenagers

By Ella Hayes

With the end of the semester comes many big tests and finals that can take their toll on many high school students. With finals week being several weeks ago, Grants Pass High School students know first-hand the effects that the stress of finals can have on a student. Most teachers have a finals test that goes over all material over the course of the semester, or a unit test on the last day of the semester. The combination of the assignments due and studying for final exams will often cause a level of stress that will take away from a student’s test taking abilities. In fact, the levels of stress found in teens caused by school or academics rival that of adults. The average high school student is put under such a great level of stress due to end-of-the-semester assignments and tests that it affects their test-taking performances and their physical and mental health.

At Grants Pass High School, “Finals Week” is a week dedicated to the taking of final exams in each class period, where each class gets 90-minute periods over the course of two days. Due to the short period of time between winter break and the end of the semester, students are expected to spend a significant period of time during their break studying for their final tests, which takes away from the “break” the time period is originally intended for. Tuesday is the last study day for all classes, then Wednesday has three 90-minute class periods and Thursday has four 90-minute class periods solely dedicated to the taking of final exams.

Stress in teens is a common occurrence, with many predictable factors. According to Kathleen Smith, a licenced professional counselor and a mental health journalist, the most common factor of teen stress is school; around 83% of teenagers report that school is their number one concern and what causes the most stress. However, many teenagers underestimate the toll that stress can take on their bodies. Excessive amounts of stress can trigger low energy, headaches, insomnia, nauseousness, and many other physical negatives. Stress can also cause trouble focusing, anxiousness, depression, and forgetfulness. A common coping method for unhealthy levels of stress for students is to spend entire nights studying for upcoming tests in hopes that they will retain the unit information overnight. While short term this seems like a good solution, little to no sleep before an important event can bring even more negative health attributes and stress to a student. Lack of sleep will cause moodiness, lack of concentration, and forgetfulness the day after, while getting a reasonable amount of sleep actually helps memory and assists the brain in solidifying information learned during the day.

A small amount of stress put on an individual can actually help benefit them in several ways. Feeling stress in an upcoming due date or a difficult assignment most often will spark productiveness and activity. However, stress in unmanageable quantities is what causes the unhealthy levels of stress found in teens across the US. According to a study conducted by the American Psychological Association, the stress level reported by teens during the school year exceeded the level reported by adults (5.8 for teens vs 5.1 for adults on a ten-point scale). It is demonstrated by the study that teens are beginning to adapt negative adult stress management tactics, such as not setting aside time to cope with stress. Most teens, according to the study, do not realize the toll that stress can make on their health, mental and physical. Norman B. Anderson of the APA argues, “In order to break this cycle of stress and unhealthy behaviors as a nation, we need to provide teens with better support and health education at school and home, at the community level and in their interactions with health care professionals.” Anderson says that it is alarming to see the remarkable similarities between the insufficient stress coping methods of adults and adolescents alike.

While many teens feel a great deal of pressure during the last few weeks of the semester, there are many considerable forms of coping that are healthy and beneficial to teenagers. When a big project or an exam is approaching, taking care to split the study time into reasonable chunks will help lessen frantic studying the night before. Creating a planner and updating it regularly also helps to keep homework and upcoming due dates organized. As for dealing with stress directly, keeping a regular sleep schedule and healthy eating habits are key to maintaining good health with stress. As mentioned beforehand, getting a good night’s sleep after studying or before a big test helps the brain sustain and remember information learned. Also, eliminating distractions is essential towards focused study time. Putting away phones, laptops, and other distracting devices helps contribute towards efficient studying. Though stress, to a limited extent, is healthy towards behavior and motivation, too much stress on teenagers due to academics will cause many physical and mental health problems.