Exam week has finally ended, and with it ends the infamous wave of stress that annually engulfs our students. Each year at this time, students can be seen nervously studying in the library, going in early to see their teachers for extra help, and crowding together in the halls trying to get in every amount of last minute preparation possible. Final exams are probably the most stressful events for students all year.

All of the ODA students spent the week studying in hopes that these tests would bring their grades up just enough to break the grade barrier, and possibly help them reach a higher letter grade.

While exam week may have seemed never-ending to our upper school students, many of the underclassmen did not realize that exams had been going on for a few weeks prior for many of our juniors and seniors.

While prepping for exams seemed horrible, many of the upperclassmen at ODA were used to it; they had been taking AP exams for three weeks before the regular exams! AP classes are college level courses. These examinations are run by College Board to evaluate the student’s knowledge and what they have learned from the course over the year.

Some may think their regular class exams hold a lot of weight, but the AP exams in many ways are far more significant; the grades on these tests determine whether or not a student can receive a course credit for college. The AP exams are graded on a scale of 1-5;  many colleges require that students receive a score of 4 or 5 to receive the class credit for their freshmen year of college.

For the AP students, worry about these exams causes a lot of pressure; many even began their preparations over a month in advance. As a result, on exam week many of these students were not stressing as much as some of the underclassmen, as taking exams now has become almost a part of their schedule.

“I wasn’t expecting how stressed I would become over the AP exams at the beginning of the year, it was definitely overwhelming,” says an anonymous junior. “I took three APs this year. I’m just glad they’re over with now!”

“Having to create a portfolio for my AP Studio Art exam while having to deal with my other exams has definitely been stressful,” says junior Emma Holland. “I can’t wait for summer!”

Unfortunately for the AP students, the results will not come out until July; still, a great weight has been lifted knowing that they are finished.

Good luck with the results, and to everyone facing the news of all their final grades.  We hope every students finished strong, and enjoys a great and well-deserved summer!