It’s that time of the year again. The students of Goffstown High School drag their feet out of bed and dump themselves into the school. The brisk chill of the January air follows the kids inside. Students of all four years in any level of classes all parade their reluctant way into the building. They sit in their first period and the bell rings. Midterms 2019 have begun.

Every year Goffstown High School, like most schools, has midterms. The schedule, per usual includes four days of test-taking. Tuesday, the 22nd is periods one and three. Wednesday includes periods two and four. Thursday is the day for periods five and seven. Lastly, the tests for periods six and eight are held on Friday. After lunch each day is a ninety-minute block of time for makeup exams. The schedule is as usual for midterms.

Due to the different schedules, the students of all years have been permitted to come late and/or leave early on days where they have PREP or a class where there is no exam. The exam schedule has been the same for a long time, and people have differing opinions on it. “I wish that I could do all of my exams in the first two days,” explains sophomore Paige Wellman. She believes that by doing all of the exams quickly to get them over with would allow better relaxation time afterwards.

Tracy Charette, the mother of a student at GHS, on the other hand, doesn’t mind the schedule.

She “enjoy[s] the flexible schedule during exam week”. “I don’t mind accommodating [my daughter] given how hard she works”, she explains.

Like many parents/guardians, Tracy has agreed to drive her daughter to and from school at unusual times during this week. Despite the hassle, she doesn’t mind.

“I think January is the perfect time to have midterms since it’s halfway through the school year”, she says, admitting that “the only tough aspect is the unpredictable weather.”

With the snowy weather, especially the storms that will potentially mess with this year’s schedule, students may not be sitting in their exam chairs during the week. Some may be shoveling or sleeping in. Being accustomed to this New England weather, none of the students or parents would be shocked to wake up to the sound of a snowblower opposed to the dreadful screech of their alarms.

If the weekend weather affects Monday, exams will proceed as usual and begin on Tuesday. If the snow were to impede on our ability to attend school Tuesday, those exams will be moved to the next day. This would occur on any day that have these circumstances.

Keep your fingers crossed, because as Paige explains, it’s much better to get exams out of the way. “I really just hope there’s not snow so we can get them over with and be back to normal the next week”.