by Liv O’Hara ’25
December 18, 2024
The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the writer and the students interviewed. They do not reflect the views of University School of Nashville or the Peabody Press.
As we descend into exam season each December, the only thing between us and winter break is the week and a half of exams. The current exam schedule is nine days long, with two to three hours of testing each day, after two designated review days and a reading day.
The question about USN’s exam schedule being too spread out has been raised by teachers and administrators. Instead of having six courses spread across three days, USN has one exam a day, a schedule that spans a week and a half. According to Parker O’Hara ‘21, exams at her college correspond to the block in which you have the class. Depending on your schedule, you can have up to two exams in one day; however many of her exams are taken at home with set due dates and students can plan their exam schedule accordingly.
As a student, I appreciate having one exam a day. Although I understand that the week and a half of exams could be tightened up and used in other ways, I appreciate the spacing. Taking exams requires a lot of brain power and if I were taking two exams a day I feel I wouldn’t perform as well on my second exam. I also feel that I have ample time to prepare for my exams with our exam schedule. After my exam ends, I have most of the day to study for my other exams. Many high school students share a similar opinion.
Many students shared that they enjoy the current schedule because it allows time for students to study, take breaks, and reset, allowing them to enter their exams confidently. Stella Liebeskind ‘25 explained why she liked the current exam schedule.
“I like how USN has exams spread out because it’s less overwhelming when I’m studying and I can prioritize my tasks more easily because I study for whichever exam is closest,” Liebeskind shared. When asked about the reallocation of the time taken by the current exam schedule, Liebeskind shared that she doesn’t think that it would be worth it to cram the exams in a three day period and time elsewhere in the schedule.
Celeste Green ‘27 entertained the idea of having two exams a day, but ultimately picked the current schedule.
“I like how it is now. If we were to do two exams per day I would like to have a break in between them. I like that it is more spread out. There’s a lot of time in the afternoon to study for upcoming exams and have a brain break from the morning,” Green said.
However, when asked about reallocating the time saved by switching to the condensed exam schedule to more days for winter break, Green switched sides. She shared that she would be able to do two exams in one day if she was given a two hour break in between and if the remaining days were added to winter break time.
Corina Chalos ‘26 was the only one out of the people interviewed who initially preferred two exams per day.
“I prefer two exams per day because then we could get out of school quicker,” Chalos shared.
Aside from wasted school days, administrators worry that our cushy exam schedule does not prepare students for college exam schedules. However after talking to two USN alumni, Josephine O’Hara ‘23 and Parker O’Hara ‘21 I learned that the exam schedules at their colleges were even more relaxed than ours. Many of their exams were taken at home and could be taken any time before the due date.
It is clear that the current exam schedule is favored by many of the high school students. Although it wouldn’t take up as much time, having two exams a day would be stressful and exhausting. Exams are tiring and the current schedule allows for studying, brain breaks, and rest which are all things necessary to perform well on exams.
