With finals week almost upon us, stress is building up for grade-levels alike. While freshmen are stressing over the first finals week of their high school career, seniors are generally
relaxed about it as it is their last year of high school finals.
“Oh my gosh, I’m kind of stressed out,” freshman Savannah Grasmick said. “I don’t like high school, it seems really hard.”

Grasmick is concerned about finals being the last chance to bring up grades, and is scared of getting a bad score and just failing in general. Grasmick plans to prepare by studying hard that could result in a few tears.
“Honestly, I’m a little bit nervous for the finals this year,” freshman Ella Hayek said. “I know that’s only because I have never had a big final before.”
However, some seniors have felt that they are ready for finals as it is their last year taking them in high school.
“[I’m] like way more calm about it,” senior Stephanie Vierling said. “Freshmen year you didn’t know what to expect.” Vierling has already been accepted to colleges which makes her less concerned of finals.
There are a mix of advantages and disadvantages to being a senior going into finals, because they are more used to the exams, but some prepare more due to the more in-depth material taught senior year.
“I feel a lot more confident [towards finals],” senior Justin Sellers said. “As in, my freshmen year I was scared to take finals, and this year I’m used to the process.”
Advice given to freshmen in the past has included that they should not get super stressed out, and should try to remember everything on the final was taught that semester.

“I think finals are kinda pointless because if we got good grades on our tests throughout the semester, then that shows we know the things taught,” Hayek said.
Freshman Hunter King took finals in past years while attending Incarnate Word Academy, and feels that helped him with the process. Whereas at Central Middle, there aren’t finals, so freshmen may not know what to expect.
“In general, I think they are over-hyped,” King said. “They aren’t as scary as they seem.”

On the other hand, seniors such as Johanna Hogan did not realize that she should be scared of finals as a freshmen. Now in her senior year, Hogan, she will prepare much more for finals compared to freshman year, specifically math and English for her final exams.

“I also feel like it won’t be something I will get super stressed about,” Hayek said. “But the scariest thing about finals week is that everyone will be so hectic.”