Emily Kalberer
Staff Writer
Finals are approaching, and fast. This is typically the most stressful time of the semester for most students, as they have to gather all of the knowledge they have gained over the past 15 weeks, and regurgitate it all onto one final scantron.
Unless, that is not the case.
With a multitude of different classes and class modes, there are many ways that professors can assess their students’ overall understanding of the course.
These include in-person and online exams, presentations, papers, group projects and more.
“I probably prefer exams because I think I’m better at remembering things rather than writing them down,” said psychology major Halley Roche. “I remember in my one class, Abnormal Psychology, we always had the option of taking a multiple choice exam or writing a paper, and I always chose the exam.”
“Yeah, multiple choice is way better than those open ended exams. Those are basically just papers. Like, get out,” Roche said laughing.
On the other hand, there are many students who dislike the memorization aspect of exams.
“Exams just put too much pressure on me to be perfect. There’s only right and wrong and no in between, said senior exercise science major Juliann Kalberer. “I prefer presentations because they give me the opportunity to be more creative and they allow for a little bit more flexibility throughout completion.”
“Also, professors are a little bit more lenient when grading presentations rather than exams or papers, I found, so that is always a big plus,” she said.
Some students prefer papers above all as they feel more comfortable using the power of words rather than relying solely on their memory.
“I prefer papers because I get to do them on my own terms, and I feel like they are a more accurate way to assess course knowledge than exams are,” said sophomore Emily Gonzalez. “I know students do not perform their best on exams because of certain conditions they face while taking them, like nervousness, or sitting in silence at a desk for two hours.”
She continued, “I just think there is more to be said about someone who can apply their knowledge to expression than there is to just knowing how to answer 50 multiple choice questions.”
While students all have their differing opinions, there is one thing that all agree on: Finals are important.
As quickly as finals week comes, it goes. So, it is important to prepare to the best of your ability.
Utilizing tools provided by the university such as the Warrior Tutoring Center and the Writing Studio located in Kemp Library, and the Math Question Center located on the second floor of Sci-Tech can help with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your finals.
In addition, attending your professor’s respective student consultation hours, whether on Zoom or in person will aid in understanding core concepts and may prove to be extremely helpful.
Whether it’s writing papers, preparing presentations, or studying for exams, it is important to keep a few things in mind.
Make sure to take care of yourself and your health, eat healthy, get the proper amount of sleep each night, and check up on your friends.
Remember, a grade on an assignment or a transcript does not define you.