Finals are returning to Bernards since 2019 and all the current freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are experiencing finals for the first time. Finals occur during the last days of school, during the four half days. The final schedule is split up by the periods, and they run two a day. The first day of finals test periods 1 and 2, following by that Monday with periods 3 and 4, and so on until the last day of finals.

Having finals count for only 10% of the final grade, give underclassmen and seniors getting ready for college an opportunity to prepare for college finals and exams. Because we do not have midterms as a requirement, and many teachers do not give midterms; the finals end up being the whole years worth of material.

While finals do have many benefits, other students believe that we shouldn’t have finals because it causes many students to feel overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious. In an interview with Tara Kevorkian ‘23 she shared, “I am feeling overwhelmed because we have never taken finals before”. Many students feel the same way, as the only class that has taken finals before and has sat for them is the current senior class.

The whole experience has been new to both teachers and students alike, as everyone gets fully adjusted to the new normal after having virtual learning and COVID protocols. Numerous teachers realized that students have never taken finals before, and as a result tried to give students extra support by spending extra time reviewing in class, and giving review packets and notes.

As the last marking period comes to a close on June 8th, finals begin on Friday June 9th and will continue on until June 15th. On June 16th, all grades will attend every period, rather than the block schedule as a way to end the 2021-2022 school year.