For those who are unaware of what a final is, typically it is an exam that can cover anything from the semester. In the case of some districts, they can be worth 20% or more of one's semester grade.

Why is this negative?

By many views, final exams are considered an assessment of one's understanding of the curriculum over the course of the semester. If that is the case, then what does that make every assignment and test done over the course of the semester? Useless? The assessments conducted over the course of the semester should be sufficient in assessing one's understanding and hard work. 

Next, the final can be weighted heavily. A two hour exam should not be worth 20% or more of someone's grade. One exam can take someone from an A+ to an A just because they performed lower. For example, if Neil has a 97 in Business Administration, but then gets a 94% on a final worth 20% of the semester grade, that would reduce his grade to a 96. (97 x 4 + 93)/5 is roughly a 96 (which is no longer an A+, but an A by some districts' standards). Imagine what it would be at a higher percentage of your semester average.

Additionally, multiple final exams are conducted daily. A student may have to study for two final exams on the same day. This is very stressful and certainly takes a toll on a student's mental health - this is especially true for those in more advanced courses, where the course is more rigorous and the content is therefore much difficult to fully grasp or memorize. These students have already suffered from high stress all semester - these final exams are certain to increase anxiety and stress in general. 

In order to compensate for this, students may stay up all night to feel prepared and ready. As a result of sleep deprivation, their cognitive functions may be impaired, and they will perform worse. The counter-argument goes that they should start studying earlier. How early? Weeks? Most classes finish their lessons and assignments a few schools days before the final exams start. Do students have to be put in a position where they have to decide between losing sleep to study in advance for a final versus studying for their unit tests, doing homework, and having a little bit of free time?

Finally, the gap between finals on the same day is low. It can be as little as 5 minutes. In psychology, there's a theory that states we react to stress in 3 steps: Alarm - Resistance - Exhaustion. When we are in Alarm, we mobilize our resources, energy, etc. so that we can resist this stressor (the exam). After that (the exam), we are in a state of exhaustion or tiredness, where this resistance can not occur (greater energy use). This will lead to decreased performance due to energy depletion and students will not be at their optimal state until their exhaustion subsides. Coupled with sleep deprivation, it is a deadly combination.

In 2023, college admissions have gotten very competitive. Is it really worth it to have our brightest, top students suffer for an exam that may have debilitating consequences if their performance goes south? The brightest students are often the ones who go on to pursue a higher education and join various fields. These people will be driving our change in the future. It would be disgraceful to lose these students to mental health issues, suicide, or loss of confidence.

I'm writing this petition to change things for the better. School should not be a pressure cooker. Students are not machines. They are HUMAN BEINGS, and our imperfection should be considered. We are not robots. We have limited energy. We are capable of learning.

Please sign this petition if you side with reason and believe in a better future for students who are already faced with immense pressure and astronomical expectations. Thank you.