Finals are upon us, and you know what that means: exams, papers and tests galore. Most of us collegiates have been bombarded with a combination of two or three of them as the semester has neared its end, but a question I have always pondered still seems to arise. Which is worse to have as a “final” grade: an exam or a paper? Here are some pros and cons to each of these final assignments as I continue to find the answer – which one is worse?
Final Exams.
The worst part about having an exam as your final grade in a class? Studying. In most cases, you’re studying for hours on end, for days in a row, just to make sure you get the grade you need to maintain your overall grade in the class. However, one good aspect of a final exam is that you take it once and you’re done. No partner coordination, no long hours of writing a paper and trying to meet a deadline.
Final Papers.
Thankfully, final papers require no long hours of studying. They do, however, have demanding guidelines, multiple pages, word counts and looming deadlines. But the plus side is that once you submit it, you’re done with the class – no more studying or exams required.
Final Projects.
Let’s be real, no one likes final projects. Especially if it’s a group project. Trying to schedule times to meet and figure out who is doing what is super stressful, and when you’re up at 3AM trying to finish your portion of the project you’re wishing you could have just taken a test to finish out the class instead.
All in all, no type of final is fun. Whether it be a paper, exam or project, it requires time and effort, and it will most likely not be easy. Though none of us enjoy this stressful time of year, try to look at the positives of each final task, no matter if it requires long nights of studying or hours of typing. Finals are almost done, and if you see the up-sides to whatever you are required to do, you can finish strong!