As we enter the month of December, students begin to prepare for the upcoming exams that follow Math 1, Biology, Math 3, English 2, and many more. Before the forthcoming exams, teachers start to review what will be on the test and assign more work than usual to prepare the students for academic success. As exams are around the corner, students become anxious due to holidays, pre-test anxiety, worrying about the end of the semester, and upcoming college classes for the spring. As a freshman at Early College, I am especially worried about taking my first college class next spring and getting through the holidays safely while traveling so I can return in January.

Before writing this article, I asked Josie Tharp what stressed her out the most when about to take the PreACT, and she said, “The exam being such a long test is the most stressful part and the expectation from the teachers; that you should get a perfect score.” After hearing this, I related to the stress she was feeling due to having teachers who expect a lot of me, as well as parents. One of the most common things students are stressed about before taking exams is submitting assignments during the review weeks. The teachers are moving so fast, and students don’t want to get behind in their classes, especially at the end of the semester.