TJ finals will take place on the week of December 16th through the 18th. graphic by Harper Skurky-Thomas
The end of the semester, and with it finals week, is quickly approaching.
Marking the end of the first semester here at Thomas Jefferson, finals week is almost upon us. Finals will last from December 17th to the 19th. Monday, December 16th, Spartans will have a regular schedule on Monday followed by three days of finals. Then, it’s time for winter break before kicking off the spring semester.
Students are expected to be in class by 8:20 as usual. Tuesday the 17th will be the finals for periods 3, 4, and 5. Wednesday the 18th will be for periods 6 and 7, and Thursday the 19th will have periods 1 and 8. Having periods 1 and 8 on Thursday is to group the most popular off periods into one day. In order to make up a final exam, students will be expected to come to school on Friday the 20th as well after making an appointment with their teacher. Lunch will be available for grab-and-go, and transportation will be provided for all three days of finals as well as Friday. Please click here for the specific schedule!
Studying for finals can feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember why finals matter. For students, keeping grades high and passing every class opens up more opportunities in the future. “The more you show success, the easier future classes will be,” said TJ math teacher Brock Strickland. “But also, when you pass your classes…you’ve got more opportunities and space to take electives and classes you want instead of having to repeat a class that you failed.” Keeping grades up is vital, and a good grade on the final can boost the overall grade in a class. With the effort it takes to study for just a few minutes each night, bringing a GPA up by several points and opening up more opportunities is within the realm of possibilities.
While it can be tempting to cram studying for every class into one night, remembering content if review is spread out over time is a lot easier. “Do a little each night. You don’t have to do it all in one night. That’s stressful. But if you can study for an hour, or a half hour, for a couple different contents each night, when you do look at it and try to focus on it it’s a lot easier than trying to remember a whole semester’s worth of information,” advised principal Mike Christoff. Staying on top of studying and starting to review content in advance are also ways to reduce stress around finals. “The better you feel prepared, the less stressed you’ll be.”
Despite the importance of finals, it is equally important to prioritize physical and mental health, too. Regardless of their academic performance this semester, every student will start with a clean slate in the new year, so there’s always time to start anew. “After grades are posted right before winter break, those grades go in your transcript. In January, you start fresh with a new set of grades,” explained Christoff. Good luck, TJ!
