Midterms cause unimaginable amounts of stress for students. Research shows that two-thirds of students experience "worrying" amounts of stress levels during exams. The added stress can cause issues with their level of attention and working memory, causing students to perform poorly in regular classroom activities and not allow for an accurate representation of knowledge.

The increased amount of homework and studying needed to stay afloat causes less time for students to rest (most students only get about 6.5-7.5 hours of sleep or less, when they really need at least 9), which can lead to lower scores on exams, thus lowering self-esteem and causing their mental health to worsen.

An added stressor, being the COVID-19 pandemic, has caused 81% of students to experience more intense stress.

With not enough sleep, elevated stress levels, low levels of self-esteem, and poor mental health, students are forced to cram tons of information into their already jam-packed brains that will end up being forgotten in the long run. Many students have also been absent more often than usual, causing the added stress of makeup work. This also puts stress on teachers.

Midterms are just an added stressor that we don't need (and were cancelled last year at HB) that causes panic!

So, vote to cancel midterms at HB for 2022!

Sources:

• https://www.change.org/p/bell-creek-academy-midterms-should-not-be-taken-in-middle-school
• https://theconversation.com/dont-calm-down-exam-stress-may-not-be-fun-but-it-can-help-you-get-better-marks-124517
• https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/teenagers-and-sleep
• https://cavchronline.com/17303/opinion/no-midterms/
• https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2021.719539/full