The end of the school year.  When people think of the end of the school year, they think of fun things like prom, spring sports, and, of course, summer vacation.

Even though it’s easy to start thinking about the end of the year and all of the exciting events, students face crucial assessments such as the PSAT, SAT, ACT Work Keys, M-Step, and senior portfolios.  

The second week of April is testing week, and although all tests matter, juniors and seniors are taking on more high-stakes exams than underclassmen. How are they feeling about that?  Are they feeling the pressure – or is it no big deal?  

It all depends on the student. Junior Wendy Cowan is one of the students who’s definitely feeling the pressure, particularly with the SAT.  

“I know they send that to colleges, and that can affect if you get in or not,” says Cowan.  She also mentioned not feeling the most prepared for the English portion.  

Junior Makayla Bruening felt the same way.  

“Most of the teachers act like it’s very important to our future schooling and jobs,” Bruening said.  She also added, “I didn’t have much preparation.”  

While juniors may be carrying a heavy load right now, seniors aren’t off the hook just yet.  

Seniors are working on their senior portfolios, which is a minimum of a 10-minute presentation recapping the 4 years of high school they’ve gone through and all the lessons they’ve learned.

Kathryn Titus is one of the seniors who’s feeling the pressure of the portfolio.

“I think it’s a very challenging thing, especially since you need a really good theme, and you have to correlate all four years of high school to that one theme,” Titus said

Despite the fact that many students are stressed around this time,  algebra 2 teacher Tracey Pardiac mentions there are plenty of ways to handle it all.

“Definitely do some online practice through Khan Academy, and things like that,” Pardiac said.

Experts from the University of Colorado Boulder also suggest tips such as prioritizing and taking care of yourself, calming techniques like deep breathing, and avoiding comparing yourself to others.