The dreaded week of finals strikes fear in the hearts of many students, while others do not feel the threat of testing. Some study tirelessly for days; some leave everything to cram into their minds the night before; others do not study at all.

Freshman Paul Ocheltree dealt with nerves for final exams that would affect his final grades.

“I was nervous for some finals, like English and Geometry, but felt fine about the others,” Ocheltree said. “When I saw the math test, I wasn’t as worried because the content was all material that we had studied. For English, it was nice to be able to pull in outside sources to apply for the essay, so we were able to write about something we understand. But the fact that it’s an essay was nerve-wracking.”

Ocheltree, who will attend Bullard High School next year, feels that the finals will be more difficult in years to come, and he will have to adjust his study tactics.

“At Bullard, finals will probably be a lot harder, so I’ll prepare a lot more,” Ocheltree said.

Junior Alex Aleman says she learned how to study from her experiences freshman year.

“In [Greg] Stobbe’s English Honors class, so many upperclassmen said that it was the hardest thing ever,” Aleman said. “I heard it was hard to pull off a C. When I took it, though, I got a 98%. I learned to study and prepare according to what I think is best; not listen to lies from upperclassmen.”

Ocheltree heard many opinions about Stobbe’s final as well before undertaking the challenge.

“There was a lot of hype about the essay,” Ocheltree said. “Hearing it would have to be long and detailed seemed intimidating considering the two hour time frame.”

Ilieana See, ’14, will not have to experience high school finals for another, but says she is already strategizing.

“I do really well in science, so it probably won’t be a problem,” See said. “But there will be a lot more finals in high school, I’m nervous about math and history.”

The senior class experienced their last high school finals this year, and Chelsea Joy, ’09, took a more lighthearted view instead of stressing out.

“I’m relieved that I’m done with finals, and high school in general,” Joy said. “This year was not as frightening or important as previous years. I took easier classes, and I’m looking forward to the summer and my first semester of college. I’m glad to finally be done with high school.”