As the first semester winds down, students are beginning to turn their focus to those dreaded midterm exams. However, this year’s midterm schedule is a tad different than the schedules in the past years and many of the students have mixed opinions on the changes.

A major change in this year’s schedule from last year’s is the amount of time between the start of exams and the end of the Christmas break. After Christmas break during the last school year, the students at Elder only had one school day before being thrown into a stressful four-day stretch of taking exam after exam. However, before taking their exams this year, students are getting nearly two full weeks after getting back from Christmas break to review the material that they’ve learn in the first semester with their teachers.

As well as the time to review in-between Christmas break and the start of exams, students will also be receiving a nice break right in the middle of their exam days. In past years, students have had to endure an awful stretch of four days taking an exam for each class usually spanning from a Tuesday to that same Friday. Instead of that setup, students will be getting a three day break between their second day of exams and their third day.

The small three day break is due to starting exams on a Thursday instead of a Tuesday. Students will be taking their seventh period exam on Thursday (1/14) and then their first and second period exams on Friday (1/15) before going on the mini break. Obviously, no exams will be taken on that Saturday or Sunday but get that Monday off because it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. After the days off, students will resume taking exam with their third and fourth period on Tuesday (1/19) and then finish it off with their fifth and sixth period exams on Wednesday (1/20).

The new layout of exam is getting mixed reviews from a few students at Elder.

One studious sophomore, Nick Merk, shows he’s a big fan of the new schedule by saying, “I like the new exam schedule because it is nice not having them right after Christmas break. Since they are a week and a half after break, they aren’t hanging over your head during Christmas. It’s also nice having a break in between exams with the long weekend that will help me get ready for the last few exams.”

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Junior Matthew Peterson agreed with Merk and commented, “I think this new schedule is better for everyone. It doesn’t come directly after break, so the teachers and students are able to prepare a bit more…this new exam schedule helps to relieve time constraints and pressure, therefore reducing some of the stress midterm exams can cause.”

However, some students don’t feel the same about the new schedule for exams.

“I don’t like getting new material right before exams and taking a test the week of an exam. Also, I really don’t like having the exams end in the middle of the week. It’s nice to have a weekend where I don’t have to worry about school at all like in the past,” said junior Joe Reiter.

Regardless on what your opinion is on the new exam schedule, it is what it is so hopefully it proves to be beneficial to all the students of Elder High School.