Stress and nerves were high as the freshman Tartans faced their first exam week at Holy Cross, the week before Christmas break. Following their first exam was a rush of relief.

Skylar Lewis shared that she lost a lot of sleep due to high nerves during the week. She said “I understand how the administration uses the exams as a way to see where students are, but they caused me a lot of stress. Also, I preferred PBAs instead of exams.”  

Performance Based Assessments (PBAs) are a different method teachers can use to assess their students at the end of the semester. The PBAs usually consist of completing a project at home or in class. Some teachers ask students to have a presentation prepared for the class period on exam week.

Most of the freshman had the same outlook on exam week which was to study and be prepared. Claire Deausen shared a tip about studying for exams and tests in general: make a Quizlet for the topics on the test. She also explained, “Having the half day schedule during exams week allowed for me to study for the next exam as soon as I got home.”

Amy Schmidt Stowe, a freshman counselor, shared that “for students that have never had exams, learning how to prepare for tests and PBAs was challenging for them.”

Schmidt Stowe also pointed out that some students don’t prepare for exams and put themselves in a stressful situation without the base knowledge they need.

Because the administration recognizes that exams and PBAs can be a difficult, they sent out a calendar to help LOTAs prepare for the week.

Exam Week left the freshman class and entire student body ready for Christmas and two weeks off of school.