It's been a couple of weeks since the midterms, and reflecting back, it becomes evident that we faced numerous obstacles. As this was one of our first major tests, it was highly stressful. The lack of preparation became apparent as many materials were missing or made little sense. We undoubtedly began to comprehend the importance of being well organized.
Since physics was the first and most difficult midterm, a clear priority was placed on the subject. Eventually, we hit a wall when we discovered unequal pacing among physics classes, with some classes barely covering some of the material in the midterm. The midterms were stress inducing. The cycle of worrying, trying to understand, more studying, and stressing continued as the day finally approached. Walking into the midterms, the discovery of having to complete eighty questions in only an hour and a half was daunting. As we rushed to finish, we were frustrated to find that some teachers had given up to an hour's worth of extra time to complete the midterm while others adhered to the selected time frame. The only explanation provided for this inconsistency was that there had been some confusion amongst the teachers.
With physics and math settled, one last midterm was left - world history. World history posed its own set of challenges, since there were countless notes and previous textbook readings to look through. The sheer volume of material necessary to cover was so overwhelming that the time spent sorting made up the majority of the studying. In hindsight, we would strongly advise ourselves to keep track of our notes and to begin studying at a relaxed pace earlier for finals. We also strongly hope for more clarity and consistency within its structure and planning.
*Upon reflection, we decided to remove "without the incompetence of teachers" out of appreciation for the physics teachers and Science Department.
Image courtesy of Belmont High School.