Here at Meridian, testing season can feel overwhelming and stressful. From Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests to Advanced Placement (AP) exams, spring testing season can become one of the most overwhelming times of the school year. Many students argue that too many tests are packed into the single month of May, which creates a pressure affecting students’ mental health.
Freshmen especially experience pressure from SOL testing. Virginia uses SOL exams to measure whether students meet the state learning standards in subjects such as Biology, World History, and English. Schools are also judged partly by the student performance on these tests. In addition to SOLs, some ambitious freshmen take AP courses such as AP Computer Science Principles and must complete the AP exam to have a chance at receiving college credit. Even with just SOLs, many freshmen have end of year projects and future tests that directly affect their GPA, further increasing the workload.
“I felt like coming to Meridian as a freshman, it wouldn’t be too hard. And it wasn’t too bad by the second and third quarters, to be honest. But now that I’m actually experiencing exam season, there’s just so much to study for and too little time and I’m super overwhelmed,” said freshman Nairi Kleinfeld.
One of the major complaints about end-of-year testing that students have is how closely different tests are scheduled together. AP exams typically happen during the same weeks students are having formative and summative assessments that directly affect their GPA, a major factor the colleges use to determine whether or not they should accept students.
“About a week ago, I took my Spanish AAPPL, and when I got home I literally had to start studying for my AP Computer Science A exam that was in a few days. On top of that, I had a bunch of quizzes my teachers crammed in between,” explains freshman Taylor Moore.
This packed schedule can lead to many students pulling all-nighters to study with very little time to recover between exams.
However, the stress does not only come from preparing for exams. Many students also describe the atmosphere during testing season as emotionally draining.
“I find [the school environment] kind of different during all the tests. A lot of my teachers are rushing to finish their curriculums and also review things with their class for SOLs or other tests. All my friends are constantly talking about their exams too, so even if I try to relax I’m, quite ironically, always reminded of how many tests I have,” says sophomore Ellie Barba.
Despite all the stress, many students have been able to find ways to manage the testing season. Some methods include study groups, tutoring, etc.
“So far, with the tests I have taken, one method that works for me every time is to review my notes pertaining to whatever the test is covering, then do practice tests, and finally focus on my weaknesses until the actual test,” explains freshman Lila Perlberg.
To manage emotions and stress, many students have different methods before and during the test.
“Whenever I sit down to study at home, I often overthink and start to doubt myself. So I just journal, and it helps to kind of release my bad thoughts so I can start studying,” states senior Anna Gray.
Overall, testing is a major unavoidable part of student life. While SOLs and AP exams are meant to measure levels of achievement and prepare students for the future, many students believe that the system can sometimes place too much pressure on them all at once. As testing season continues each year, students at Meridian are still working to balance academics, stress and their well-being.
