As finals week quickly approaches, students and teachers are questioning the structure of the finals schedule. The current structure includes two “study times” per day where the conditions to study are not ideal. Recently, various teachers have proposed half-day finals to the calendar committee in attempt to improve finals atmosphere. The JagWire believes that the best finals schedule for students would be half-day finals.

By implementing half-day finals, students can tailor learning to their own strengths or needs with a more flexible schedule. Students can prepare for finals as they see fit, such as studying in a comfortable environment or arrange one-on-one time with teachers.

In addition, finals are supposed to prepare students for a college setting, but being forced to attend study sessions twice a day is not how best to prepare students. The whole idea of finals would truly be honored if students were required to study on their own time, which would better prepare them for a college setting in the near future.

Many elementary teachers oppose half-day finals because they believe it’s unfair to give high school teachers more plan time. We hope those opponents can respect the needs of their high school colleagues, which includes grading 100+ final exams and ensuring their students are properly prepared for exams. Upcoming Common Core standards will also require teachers to make finals more rigorous, taking more time to grade.

Students who want half-day finals should let School Board members know before the Jan. 14 meeting. The JagWire thinks half-day finals should be implemented, giving teachers and students the best chance for success on these important exams.