On the morning of January 23^rd, most Ward Melville students, I assume, will awaken to the loud buzz of their alarm clocks, feeling refreshed as they look out the window in awe of the light blue sky they have yearned to witness for far too long. This brief moment of rejuvenation, however, will soon be overshadowed by a pang of anxiety as they realize the inevitable: that in a few hours, they must sit in a dreadfully silent classroom alongside fellow classmates who are biting their nails in frustration, all staring at the clock in fright as they struggle to finish a midterm, the very midterm that will determine a whopping 10% of their overall class average.

Yes, my fellow victims…it’s that time of year. This upcoming Monday, January 23^rd, marks the beginning of one of the most dreaded weeks of the year: midterms week.

Do not be beguiled by their short length. Though lasting only one and a half to two hours, these midterms force students to recall everything they have learned over the past five months, in a matter of three to four days.

Midterms are indeed responsible for the “high-stress fever” experienced by many Ward Melville students during the first month of the new year. The fact that midterm scores account for a large portion of their final grade (10%) may explain the veil of frustration on several students’ faces as they first put their pen to paper. “It’s overwhelming to have a large part of your grade hanging on just one exam,” says senior Natalie O’Dell. “It just puts a lot of extra stress on you.”

The timing of midterms week also proves to be inconvenient. At a time when winter sports are at their peak, several juniors and seniors are recovering from taking the SATs the weekend before, string players are practicing for Long Island String Festival Association (LISFA) auditions that begin the weekend after, and Science Olympiad members are laying the groundwork for their upcoming competitions at MIT University, studying for hours on end is simply putting extra weight on these multitasking students’ shoulders.

Transportation is also problematic for students whose parents work long hours. Junior Serena Liu mentions, “Trying to work out bus times is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome during midterms week.” Many students wait outside 20 minutes prior to their scheduled pick-up time, in fear that their biggest nightmare might come true: that they will miss the bus, and no parent will be there to drop them off at school in time for their exam.

Although it may seem like looking for a needle in a haystack, there are some bright aspects to this test-filled week. Junior Chloe Kwok, who will be taking her first regents exams this year, addresses a more optimistic point of view as she describes how students are not necessarily walking into these classrooms without foresight. “There are review sessions for the regents exams that are super helpful for those who need it,” remarks Chloe. And for those of us who have been deprived of sleep on school nights, the upcoming week will definitely seem like paradise. Senior Crystal Her states, “One of the greatest aspects to midterms week is the fact that there is no school, allowing us all to catch up on the sleep that we desperately need.”

Midterms week, whether a blessing or the epitome of destruction, is inevitably part of part of our near future.

So, for everyone who will be participating in the race against time next week…may the odds be in your favor.