As my summer class winds to an end, I'm spending more and more time deciding whether or not to take the "final." It's not that I want to fail or that I don't care about this class, I just have the opportunity to maintain my grade without taking that final test.
As our professor went over the syllabus on the first day, he announced that while he does not use a curve on tests, our final exam would be designed as a unit test for the final few chapters and was eligible to be "dropped" in our final grade. That test grade would be replaced with the average of our other three tests, helping boost our grades after a fluke test grade or a rough day in the world.
I'm personally not a big fan of finals, especially since I've just started taking them within the past year. So when I heard that this class' final was eligible to be dropped, I was so excited. Who really wants to take a final exam during their summer anyways?
This class is the first class that I've taken that uses this drop policy and I wish that every class had this option. I'm lucky that I haven't had to use my dropped test for a failed exam or one that I simply didn't do my best on.
Sometimes as students, we have bad days or are overwhelmed by other tests. During "midterm" season, our morale is low, our minds are stuck on Quizlets or study guides and we're taking multiple tests in a day. It feels like our professors work together to schedule all unit tests or midterm exams within the same day or week. Sometimes, to be prepared for one exam, you might not be as confident on another class's test.
By adding in the drop exam, professors can cut students a little slack. We're all human. We all make mistakes. Sometimes we don't do our best when we're stressed and under pressure. As students, we're taking more than just the one class and I can only imagine that our professors want us to succeed in their class.
I understand that this may not be available to every class, especially ones where the only tests you take are the midterm and the final. In those, we just have to tough it out, study hard and do the best that we can. These classes, where the drop test isn't available, make the ability to drop tests for another grade even more important. It makes it so that they become more valuable, a grade-based reward for testing often and testing well. It adds a level of security for the student, making it so that they know that their grade will not tank due to one bad day, one bad test or because they were pulling an all-nighter for that week's tests.
Taking this class, where my professor drops my lowest grade, has opened my eyes to this testing method. I see why professors use this, to grant some relief to their students during busy times. As a student, this has become incredibly valuable, taking this class and seeing how this can affect my grade in a positive manner.
And maybe, just maybe, I'll use my drop and not take that final test.
