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By Lena Pearson

For the Clemmons Courier  

It’s the busiest time of year at West Forsyth as students are in the midst of exam week, just days away from winter break. Titans are busy with studying and teachers are finalizing grades in order to wrap up the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year. Unlike previous years, West students will return from break to an entirely new semester with exams already out of the way. The end of the semester calls for a change in classes, celebration for early graduates and some well-deserved time off.

While midterms and final exams are usually a hindrance to winter travels and holiday festivities, many students recognize the benefits of this year’s early exam schedule as it relates to their time off. 

“I love having exams before winter break. I feel like when we had exams after coming back from break, teachers would try to cram in that time and I always felt slightly underprepared. Since everything we just learned is fresh in my mind, I can go into exams worrying less about forgetting information than I have been before,” junior Savannah Hitchcock said.

The earlier exam week, however, arrived sooner than the Titans were used to, changing the way that students navigate their time management and preparation.

“I feel like exam season has almost snuck up on me, because usually I have winter break to prepare for them. However, not having to worry about remembering things for exams over the break is going to be so much better. Personally, I feel it’s a huge improvement over previous years,” senior Gray Dimock said.

Many seniors have already acquired the 22 credits needed in order to graduate, giving them the opportunity to complete their high school career before winter break. For the Titans who are on the track to graduate after the end of first semester, the earlier exam week allows for extra time off to spend enjoying the break. 

“The way that the old exam calendar was set up didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, being an early graduate it meant after winter break I would have to return to school for only a few weeks and then be done. This year I am now done with high school and can spend a lot more time with my family this way,” early graduate Cali Merritt said.

Others feel that there are two sides to this coin, as final exams arrived much sooner with less time to prepare. 

“Even though I would have been in school for the same amount of time with the old schedule, it feels like my graduation crept up on me way too fast. I feel like with the old schedule, it would have helped me to really break down that I was graduating early since it would have been in the new year,” early graduate Kaitlyn Rogers said. 

Despite this, the positives outweigh the negatives for most students, especially for the early graduates who were able to complete high school without having to attend the additional days after break. 

“Now that I am officially done, I can focus on working and not having to deal with the stress of school. The new schedule does go by quickly, but between now and the start of 2025, it feels like I can take a breath and really focus on myself and what my next step is after high school,” Rogers said. 

Final exams this year required a bit of getting used to from the Titans, but it is proving to be in the best interest of the students. West’s students and staff will enjoy their time off following exams, later arriving back on campus in January to greet the new year and the second semester.