The Necessity of Midterms

When nearing the end of the first semester, it is not uncommon for teachers to test students on their knowledge and skills of what they have learned up till that point. These exams are known as midterms, something that most students don’t look forward to the prospect of. Most proponents of these exams argue that they help teachers indicate how well a student is absorbing and retaining class material, as well as the topics students are struggling on and need more review with. However, others assert that midterms promote excessive stress and have the potential to hurt students' grades. Here at Sewanhaka, we are no exception to the administration of midterms, and students have much to say about these exams. 

Muhammad Mirza, a sophomore at SHS says, “I don’t think midterms are necessary. We are already tested every few weeks regarding our understanding of the curriculum, and midterms just provide us with unnecessary stress.” Similarly, Yousuf Shazad states, “Midterms are like a speed bump on the highway of education- just slows us down without adding much value.” So far, the consensus seems to disapprove of midterms, however, others have more perspectives to provide on this debate. 

“Midterms help prepare us for upcoming regents and AP exams, as well as identifying topics we need revision on,” stated Fawad Zafar, a sophomore at SHS. Ipsaan Sedhai added, “I think that midterms are good because they are an efficient way to make sure students still retain the knowledge they learned throughout the year…” also added, “some teachers may weight midterms to be worth more than regular exams, and in that regard, I think they should be weighed just as much as a regular exam would to reduce pressure on students.” It seems like midterms have their benefits, though it must be noted they are open to critique and can be improved upon to help students while also reducing unnecessary burdens imposed on them. 

In the end, midterms have their pros and cons. We must acknowledge this to improve upon our current system, while also enhancing the already observed benefits. I think that midterms help students in the long run by preparing us for end-of-year exams. However, I do agree that they can promote stress, especially when you get midterms from multiple classes. Teachers and administrators must prioritize student opinion and perspective to work in favor of their best interests. Doing so will help develop midterm examinations that will benefit students while also ensuring their well-being.