For the past 10 years Benilde-St. Margaret’s has allowed senior students to skip their second-semester finals. ‘Skip-a-Final’ has been around for a long time to allow seniors to have summer a little earlier than the rest of the student body. Matt Weingartz, Senior High Assistant Principal, decides if a senior high student is eligible for skipping a final.
To skip a final at Benilde-St. Margaret’s, you need to have a C or higher. The grade must be maintained until the first day of senior finals. If a student drops below a C, they will have to take the exam for that class. Additionally, if a student has more than nine tardies total in their second-semester classes, they are ineligible to skip a final. Skipping some days of school without a parent notifying the school will count as an unexcused absence. “[Students who] exceed the minimum number of unexcused absences must take all of their final exams,” Weingartz said.
Being the last year at BSM, seniors should be allowed to skip finals as long as the qualifications are met. The advantages for students are they don’t need to spend time studying, they can concentrate on their last remaining days at BSM with their friends, they have one less thing to worry about before graduation, and they will have a great last semester. “‘Skip-a-final’ reduces stress at the end of the year. “[Teachers] are not having to administer a final, correct it, and then put it in the grade book,” Weingartz said.
‘Skip-a-final’ reduces stress at the end of the year. “[Teachers] are not having to administer a final, correct it, and then put it in the grade book,”
— Matt Weingartz
The ability to skip finals is a good senior reward for maintaining good grades. This especially helps alleviate ‘senior slide’ as college is just around the corner. Skipping finals reduces the stress it has on students. “Waiting to the final moment or when the final is graded to find out their end-of-year transcripts that will be sent to colleges,” senior Liam Moser said.
Seniors skipping finals benefits teachers because they no longer need to grade the majority of seniors’ finals, and can focus on grading juniors’ as well as underclassmen’s finals. “[students] don’t have to stress out about final grades or studying for finals, as well as being able to get out of school earlier than the juniors and underclassmen,’’ Moser said.