The end of the second quarter and the first semester is coming to an end on Jan. 24. As the final week for students to pull up their grades approaches, so does the deadline for teachers to submit their final grades for the quarter. 

The end of each quarter is a very stressful time for students. Many students stress over final tests, quizzes, and projects that can have a huge impact on their grade. “All the tests and quizzes happening the day before it [the quarter] stresses me out the most,” sophomore Reena Vasudevan said.

These types of heavy-weighted assignments have a huge potential to make or break the students’ grades. “I think it’s unfair,” Vasudevan said. “ It brings your grade down by a lot if you don’t do well on them and you don’t have a lot of time.”

As the end of any quarter is tiring for the students, it also has that effect on teachers. Many teachers must worry about finishing up grading and putting in the required amount of grades. “There’s nine minimum grades per quarter,” Geometry teacher Nicole Ferree said. “Then we have to have two in each category, like two quizzes and two tests.”

Even though teachers try their best to give students a finalized grade before the quarter ends so that students have time to pull it up or ask questions, the last minute input of grades makes students fear for their grades. Some teachers put in assignment grades very last minute which gives the student little to no time to try and raise it. 

When last minute grading happens, students sometimes see an unexpected change to their grades after the grading period has ended. “I think that it’s very important for us [teachers] to have all of our grades in,” said. “I try within 48 hours to get the grades in.”

The end of the quarter is not fun for the students nor the teacher. Everyone has work to do and deadlines to make. “It [The end of a quarter] stresses out both teachers for grading purposes and students when they have countless tests to study for,” sophomore Jasa Gellert said. “It makes it near impossible to do well on every single thing and keep track.”