As finals week begins for Upper School students, the topic of ‘stress’ seems to pervade the hallways. During finals, students are typically required to recite information learned throughout the year in one long, stressful exam. The prospect of having an exam weigh a significant portion of a final grade often becomes a starting point for anxiety and overthinking. Despite the fact that it’s highly unlikely a student recalls everything from the syllabus, individuals beat themselves up over practice tests and review material, corroding their mental health. Yet, it’s critical to examine what factors have led to this form of extreme thinking.

As civilizations move into an increasingly post-industrial world, the labor market becomes less reliant on ‘unskilled’ labor. As a byproduct, a college degree has become all but a requisite to finding a job. Combined with the competition fostered by the school system, college entrance can easily feel like the most important step in a child’s life. With the number of college applicants increasing dramatically in the past decade, the process relies on stripping a student of their humanity through emphasizing GPA and standardized testing. High-school grades, playing a significant role in admissions, become a sort of ‘value assessment’ of a student’s worth. So given this perceived importance on high-school grades, it’s no wonder that final exams become a breeding ground for stress. 

Final exams often influence upwards of 10-20% of a class’ final grade. While many teachers offer superficial support, namely that “it can’t affect grades that much,” this one 1-2 hour-long test still can majorly influence students’ outcomes. Not every student is predisposed to test-taking. Many students find, justifiably so, that sustained focus under pressure is not a strong suit. Hence, summative test-taking often presents a bias towards neurotypical, organized students with the ability to dedicate ample time to problem sets, review material, and relearning course content, thereby negatively affecting otherwise capable, smart students whom the system does not favor. Notwithstanding these obvious shortcomings, we still, collectively, hold up ‘testing’ as the paragon of all learning assessments. Unfortunately, this incongruence can internalize into a judgment of a student’s worth, manifesting through depression, anxiety and coping mechanisms. This increasingly dehumanizing system has led to a sharp uptick in mental health issues and suicide among teens. It’s not uncommon for students to submit themselves so wholly to the school system that a final exam score can so drastically affect their emotional well-being. With this in mind, I recommend individuals endeavor to be unwavering in their individuality and to recognize that prosperity within the cogs of capitalism is not correlated with fulfillment in one’s life.