When I was a freshman, there were certain privileges bestowed upon the seniors that made me look forward to my last year at Regina. Such privileges were hanging out in the senior lounge, wearing the senior sweatshirt, and having exam exemptions if seniors were able to earn an A in their class for the semester. Four years have gone by and I can now enjoy the senior lounge and the senior sweatshirt, but, alas, not the senior final exam exemptions.

Understandably, Regina Dominican is a college-prep school and with courses that challenge and demand academic rigor, exams, regardless of the class level are intrinsically expected. Regina Dominican discontinued its senior final exam policy two years ago.

Academic Dean and Vice-Principal Ms. McDonell said,”As an academically rigorous college prep school, it was the decision of the Regina Dominican Curriculum Council that all students, including seniors, take semester exams in their courses. The Department Chair of each department is represented in the Curriculum Council. Since seniors will be taking final exams the following year in college, it was agreed that exams in the senior year of high school are important learning experiences.”

Seniors have spent the past several months working on their applications for college. The stress of writing personal essays, completing college applications, and other financial aid and scholarship forms needed to apply by a specific deadline provokes anxiety and pure fear. Worries about not only getting into college, but knowing that more academic rigor awaits us next year makes studying for December final exams overwhelming, exhausting, and certainly doesn’t find us at our best academically.

Perhaps a stronger argument would be that offering exemptions for final exams will help alleviate senioritis, that dreaded phenomenon when seniors simply stop caring about school. Instead, with exam exemptions, seniors would have a worthwhile goal and motivation to continue to do well in classes. If seniors were allowed exemptions, I believe that grades would be maintained so that in those final days of school, students are pushing for that A grade, so they can be exempt from their exam.

Nora Loftus ’17 said, “As a senior, it seems pointless to strive for excellence second semester and I personally would feel more compelled to try harder to get an A if exemptions were allowed; and my parents agree.”

I strongly believe that as a senior, we are as ready as we can be. This is our seventh and eighth semester taking final exams. We know the process, we know the stress, and we know how to get through it. As young adults who have experienced a strong education foundation over the course of the past four years, we feel prepared and we understand what awaits us for the next four years and we will be ready.  Giving us the opportunity to earn an A each semester is a goal many seniors are willing to strive towards.

Mr. Hiett says that “we used to have exam exemptions by department and I thought it worked out pretty well. It is an incentive for seniors to stay with it and keep their grades up.”

Several schools in the area offer senior final exam exemptions for students who have achieved an A for the semester. Area schools, Lyons Township High School, Riverside-Brookfield High School and Notre Dame College Prep offers exam exemptions.

Autumn Kelly ’17 says “my brother [Aidan Kelly ’17] at Notre Dame College Prep is exempt from at least two finals for getting a 95% or higher in his classes.”

Although high school finals prepare students for the challenge of college, the challenge of keeping high school seniors engaged and motivated in their school work either after the grueling college application process or when the winter snow melts and graduation is just around the corner is hard on students and teachers. A plausible solution would be to give hard-working seniors the opportunity to strive for an A with the reward of being exempt from their final exam.

A simple solution for our stressed seniors, don’t you agree?