They say not to judge a book by its cover, so should a students’ academic intelligence be based on an exam?

You cannot measure someone’s personal worth based on one sheet of information. How is a grade on a test supposed to measure one’s intelligence, wisdom, and overall abilities?

I cannot tell you how much it aggravates me seeing teachers giving test after test and homework that is not involved or even quizzes. Is your final grade really supposed to be determined by exams? Or even just a midterm and final exam? In my opinion, no! How is it fair to the student who has major test anxiety? It’s not, under any circumstance, fair at all. How about to the students who prepare weeks before and study, going endlessly to the library, going to a tutor for extra help, setting up study dates with friends and does poorly versus a student who studies a day or two days before and gets a magnificent score? I don’t know about you, but to me, that is completely unfair. You may think "Well, that’s the students’ problem that they don’t do well on exams. Maybe they should fix up their study habits.” But there is only so many ways TO study! Hear me out…SOME STUDENTS ARE JUST NOT TEST TAKERS!! SOME STUDENTS WOULD RATHER WRITE AN ESSAY THAN TAKE AN EXAM!!

Do you think it’s really all that fair that a class, especially a completely irrelevant class that has nothing to do with what you’re going for, could potentially make or break your major and your dreams for the future and let’s not forget, maybe get your scholarship taken away? Not at all. Again, this is just MY opinion. Our qualities won’t be measured in a multiple choice and short answer exam. Teachers and professors should really understand and take into consideration that there is so much more to OUR world than what they see for a somewhat short amount of time.

Coming from New York State, I had to take an exam at the end of the year from 8^th grade to 11^th called the “New York State Regents Exam” and boy, let me tell you how much stress that has caused, not just for me, but many other students as well. You’re probably wondering “What even is a Regents Exam?” if you don’t come from New York. Well, in order to graduate, students are required to have earned appropriate credits in a number of specific subjects by passing year-long or half-year courses and must pass this exam in some of the subject areas. There is a regular regents diploma and the other is an Advanced Regents Diploma and you probably do know the differences between those two just by looking at the words.

Anyways, the other tests that causes a lot of stress and anxiety are these SAT’s and ACT’s exams. I’m sure many of you know the two differences between these exams. They basically are an entrance exam in the college application process and tests your skills for academic readiness when college comes around. The SAT contains three sections: Reading, Math, and Writing and Language. The ACT contains four sections: Reading, Math, English, and Science. These exams are so unfair which explains why a good amount of colleges are becoming test optional! Like I had stated in my previous paragraphs, you can be smart and knowledgeable during class but when an exam comes, you draw a blank and you completely wipe out. Let’s say you have your number one choice for college, but that specific college has a certain SAT/ACT score you must reach so that you can be accepted. You have the GPA, BUT you bomb your exam…should that college defer you? Is that fair? Not. At. All.

To all of the students who have major test anxiety like myself, to all the students who think negative before the exam is handed out, to all the students who think they will fail at life and not get into your number one college and/or pursue the job of your dreams all because of these exams… you are SO much better than a test score. I promise. You are NOT a number. You are a unique individual in each and every way possible with a very bright future ahead of you.

Smile and think positive because you WILL get through this!