BHS students’ stress rises as midterms near

By Vesa Bejleri, with images by Lucy Mitchell

With midterms approaching, the tension in the air at Branford High School has been quite noticeable. Students preparing for the end of the semester face nerve-wracking exams that determine their proficiency in what they’ve covered so far in each of their classes.

Midterm exams at the high school start Thursday, Jan. 15 and end Wednesday, Jan. 21. To accommodate the testing schedule, school days are shortened to end at 12:06 p.m., with students having two extended classes per day, each at two hours in duration.

The timing of the tests had been worrying many students with some experiencing ‘brain fog’ after winter break. Some have noted they usually return to school feeling rusty, or unmotivated to start diving back into their studies. There are eight school days between the first day back from vacation and the start of midterms.

“I feel a lot of stress,” remarks Christmine Ekebuisi (’29). “Having such a long break makes me forget pretty much most of what I’ve learned in the beginning of the year.”

“The fact of coming from a break into a test that can reduce one’s grades right before the semester ends would absolutely cause most people to worry,” said an anonymous sophomore, preferring to use her initials T.E.

Teachers have begun working on ways to help students prepare for midterms with some making time during class for their students to study, and others assigning work to review previous topics.

But even with these resources, many still feel nervous for testing day. Several students taking Honors or AP classes share their concern in the testing, noting that it takes more time to retain knowledge from those classes considering their more advanced learning curriculum.

“Honestly I’m a bit anxious,” another student said to The Buzz. “Aside from my language class, I’m in all Honors; this means a very heavy workload.”

Some seem to be handling the pressure more easily, reporting that they feel confident in their ability to get satisfactory marks.

“I take AP Human Geography and AP Psychology,” said an anonymous senior, going by her initials M.A. “Honestly, I feel pretty confident about taking [the tests]. I think they’re going to be easy because the classes aren’t that difficult for me.”

When asked about ways that they are preparing for midterms, many report how their studying schedules have changed. 

“I may be studying more but it still doesn’t mean that this method works,” sophomore T.E. followed up. “I’ve gotten to the point of cramming half a year’s worth of teaching into my head for most of my classes to guarantee an ‘A’ in each.”

“I’m mostly preparing for the midterms in school as we review each unit as a class,” senior M.A. added.

With the increased pressure being put on students during this time of the year, many are taking matters into their own hands by doing extra studying, and preparing more than usual. Some students are concerned about their STEM classes, others about their advanced courses, and still many worry about their ability to recall previous lessons proficiently.

In response to the high-stress time, the club Bring Change to Mind (Mental Health Matters) wants to spread the word so students know there are many resources to help them destress; and members of the club remind students to a moment for themselves during these hectic times. 

Over the next few weeks, therapy dogs will be coming into the building in general areas for students to utilize as a calming stress reliever.

In addition, there are many breathing techniques and coping skills such as box breathing, butterfly breathing, self affirmations, and mindful coloring for students to use as stress coping skills on their own.

If students need extra help to manage stress, they can reach out to their guidance counselors, school support staff, or members of Bring Change to Mind for more resources.

The Branford Buzz wishes good luck to all students during midterms week; keep studying and stay strong!

Staff Reporter Leila Verzella contributed to this report.