One of the biggest changes Hillsborough High School has experienced this year is that there are no more midterms. The Hillsborough Board of Education have been having talks of getting rid of midterms for years, but never went through with it. However, for the first time mid terms have been officially taken out of the curriculum. The only final exams students will have at the end of their first semester would be their electives, the half year courses. 

A lot of teachers and students think our high school is better off without midterms for several reasons. To start, it eliminates stress for students. Having back to back mid terms for a few days straight can be brutal for all students, making it hard to do well on the tests. With so much studying on a half year’s worth of material for every class, it can build much anxiety for students. Many also feel it is simply unnecessary, and that there is no need for students to take extra tests. 

On the other hand, I believe that Hillsborough is better off with midterms in the curriculum. When students go to college, they are constantly going to be receiving tests and quizzes. Unlike high school, professors do not care about students’ other classes and work. Although college may seem more fun than high school, there is a lot more work. Having midterms helps students prepare for college. They help students to learn how to handle having to study for multiple tests, and balancing their life on top of it. 

“Having midterms in high school helped me to learn how to balance out my studying and work for all my tests,” Senior AJ Strawderman said. “I think having this skill is necessary for college.” 

Mid Midterms previously accounted for 10% of a student’s grade in the class. Now since midterms are gone, finals are 20% of a student’s grade. If somebody performs poorly on his or her final, it will greatly drop their final grade. Finals also used to be based on only the second semester. However, since midterms are gone finals now have to be based on the entire year’s material. Finals can be a lot more impactful now for students depending on if they do well or not. Some students have also been able to bring up their final average because of midterms. Getting an A for a marking period can be really tough with so many quizzes, tests, and projects. For those who study a lot for midterms and get a good grade, it can really boost their final average. 

Without midterms, students and facilities lose half days as well. Everybody would be let out early, but now since there are no midterms, these days are now full. Many students were able to go in late or early because of the gym too, but that time is lost as well. 

Taking out midterms does not help students prepare for college and could negatively affect their final grades. Having midterms would benefit students in the long run.