Year round, all students must take tests of different kinds. Unit tests, semester exams, PSAT, SAT, ACT, the mock and the real EOC and STAAR, AP tests, along with other different types of testing for the state and district. Some of these tests are twice a year, while others students you take year round. In the first semester, students you have multiple breaks and multiple days off. The second semester, we only have a single break along with only a few days off. In this short amount of time, we are expected to take so many tests while juggling our classes. The schedule of testing in the second semester affects effects all students. A new change is needed.
During the second semester, many students’ mental health is are affected effected. There’s lots of stress around taking many tests week in and week out, along with having to deal with other classes. This can affect academic performance, not only on the tests but in your regular classes. Having to study for so much can take a toll on your physical wellbeing. Many students do not get enough sleep during this time, and stress makes the toll even worse.
Stress can affect the your body in many different ways. Some ways include, nausea, headaches, high blood pressure, forgetfulness, anxiety, insomnia, and your diet and appetite. Many of these symptoms are dangerous. High blood pressure damages arteries, decreasing blood flow to the heart, which can cause heart disease. Anxiety can contribute to weight gain, along with insomnia, which can also increase the risk of depression, diabetes, a stroke, and a heart attack. Having a poor appetiteapetite affects your concentration, memory, and motor skills.
Many of the side effects affects of these symptoms can affect everything about your performance on your test and classes. If schools are concerned about performance, they must make a change to the schedule of testing. Especially with the move to make state-level and nationwide testing more difficult, this change must be soon, or else we will have burn out across hundreds of high schools.