With finals approaching quickly, New Providence High School students are on edge. Stress, anxiety, and countless hours of studying all come down to a two hour exam. Finals run from June 16th through June 21st, the last day of school. 

Although finals are for all high school students, there are a few exceptions. Seniors that average an A- or above for the year have the opportunity to be exempt from the final exam for that particular class. Being exempt from the final exam seems to be a motivator for senior students as they want to be focused on graduating.

“The policy motivated me because I definitely don’t want to take a final at the end of the year,” senior Keneesha Nadar stated. 

The current exemption policy is limited, but many teachers and students believe that if a student is taking an AP exam, they should also be exempt from the final exam.

“Taking both exams is stressful. I studied for AP exams and I just have to do it all again for finals,” junior Sarah Vergura said. 

Some teachers and students believe that this new policy could be put into place next year to help students achieve more academic success. 

“I hope we can put it in place next year that if you take the time to prepare for the AP test, you’ll be exempted from your final exam,” said Mr. Tracey, Department Head of Social Studies.

Although many are pushing for this new policy to be incorporated in the new year, it has to be approved by Mr. Henry and other board members first. 

Final exams take time and effort to study for. Even though they can be stressful, “they are important for college preparatory work and most colleges still make students take midterms and finals” stated Mr. Tracey.