After a hiatus due to COVID-19, finals week during the last four days of the school year has returned with exams awaiting Upper School students in nearly every major class.
On May 21st, Upper School Director Noah Rachlin sent out an email regarding the information of the last week of school, including a revised academic schedule for the week as well as background reasoning on the shift to have finals. In his email, Rachlin stated that much of the change happened because of feedback from recent alumni regarding the school’s need to properly prepare students for the experience of final exams in higher education.
According to Rachlin, the Upper School used alumni input to decide that “regardless of the form that they take … a final educational experience at the end of the year” is important for each major course. In addition to standard written exams, many major courses have opted to include various assessment methods including research-based projects and oral tests.
In previous years, only a select number of classes had final exams with many taking the form of a cumulative assessment or project graded in the regular test quarter section of the gradebook rather than having a structured final exam. This approach to finals aims to assess students’ overall understanding and application of the material rather than their ability to perform in a traditional classroom setting.
However, teachers such as Emily Provine, stated that it’s a “little difficult to make sure [teachers] have time to properly prepare students,” referring to the general challenges of major assessments, despite the benefits of reinstating finals in every class.
Many students like Ariel Steinberg ‘26, appreciate the return to a structured week of final assessments. Steinberg stated, “It’s nice to be able to have one last chance at improving my grade.”
Other students have found the transition to preparing for final exams more difficult. Khadijah Banks ’26 expressed, “[finals] kill the energy of the end of the school year.”
Tami Bogutz, parent of Ariel Steinberg ’26, also reacted to the return of finals sharing, “I think bringing back finals is a positive move on the part of MFS as it further enhances students’ preparation for college where final exams are a normal part of the experience.” While recognizing the stress related to finals, she stated, “Students need to learn how to deal with that stress or it will be even tougher in college. Prepping them now in a more supportive environment is beneficial.”
According to Upper School Guidance Counselor Julie Lyons, the Upper School administration has addressed the problem of student stress during finals week by strategically designing the schedule in a way that prevents this issue. She said, “[the schedule] was designed so that there would be no more than two tests per day with each one being two hours. Also, the two-hour block and open campus in between tests allows for decompression and prep for the next exam.”
