Final exams. The two words college students hate hearing, talking about, studying for, and actually taking. The heavy weight percentage they have on a student’s grade though, makes them difficult to ignore…but, they do always say ignorance is bliss. Could bliss possibly be a result of final exams? Imagine a day when you’re exempt from taking the final for a course because you finished with an A before going into the exam. Now, I would consider that bliss. Sweet, wonderful bliss.

This would set up a basic, beneficial reward system for students, one that everyone could be successful at if the required amount of work needed to achieve the reward was put in. This would benefit the students currently performing at a high level by eliminating the stress from final exams that comes around twice a year, even three times for those on a trimester schedule. Time that would be spent studying and taking the exam could be used for other things such as reading, working, or even going home earlier to see their family. The reward system would also influence those students who may not be performing at their full potential by motivating them to work harder throughout the course. Instead of having the mindset of “I always have the final exam to boost my grade," their thinking could shift to “if I pay attention and study harder right now, I could have less work and catching up to do at the end of the term." Student work ethic, class attendance, and participation would all probably increase, for these are the ingredients for success in the classroom. Being successful is the end goal for many people, and I think this system would definitely add to the success we see in students in the classroom.

Some might view this idea as taking the easy route or being lazy, just trying to find any reason not to have to study and take a test. But this proposition isn’t an excuse; I’m just looking at the situation from a “how could it be better” perspective. It’s obvious the students who have an A in the class before the exam understand the material, they proved that by earning the exemplary grade with studying and working hard through the duration of the course, so why should they have to prove that again? The system will also serve as a potential motivator to get those students who wait until the end of the term for a grade boost, to start performing at a higher level during the term. I understand that grades aren’t everything when it comes to school; it’s more important that the student is learning and comprehending the material, but society has adopted the mindset of having to prove yourself in different settings to the people around you in terms of what you know and can do. This proof acts as a stepping stone in the path of success, so why continue to test the students who have already proven they know the important material with final exams? It’s just not needed in my opinion.