Lets be honest, we’ve all done it.
That Wednesday when you know the flu is in full force. The virus has fully bloomed inside of you and you know that for your sake and everyone within 10 feet of your wheezing, scratching, hacking cough, you should really be nowhere but your bed. You also know that instead of the other students in that first period Calculus class, Netflix, your pillow and a glass of warm tea should really be your only companions.
However, you also know that you can’t miss your test because virus aside you know the flu is easier to overcome than the painfulness of that make-up test. So, that Wednesday you show up to school, a mini packet of fluffy Kleenex, a bag of honey lemon cough drops, and your virus, all begrudgingly tagging along.
Some teachers are known for the difficulty of their make-up tests. Instead of putting the class’s original test in the learning center for students who missed class, these teachers create a new test, one that happens to have division rather than addition and x5.6 rather than x.
I understand the reasoning behind the harder tests. Teachers are trying to prevent students from skipping class for the sole purpose of not having to take the test.
And let’s admit that most of us have done that too.
However, I believe even missing a test, with parental permission of course, can be justified. If a student has three tests in one day, it may be best to sleep through the first period Biology test in order to get a little extra sleep for the other two.
It’s impossible for teachers at Staples to work around each student’s individual schedule. We all understand that.
However, sometimes as a student we have to know our limits and choose our battles.
By making the make-up harder, it increases the stress culture that Staples and any high school often unintentionally perpetuates. For the health of the student body as a whole, both in terms of the flu and simply sleep deprivation, it is important that students feel safe making the best decision for them without retribution in the form of an extra difficult exam.
