Exams are looming around the corner, and students are stressed about cramming a semester’s worth of material into the measly block of one and a half hours. Many counselors meet with students during this time to discuss study tips and strategies.

“Students get especially stressed during exams,” Mrs. Messing-Mirabito said. “It is hard for one test to be a fair representation of all the material they have learned, so I understand the angst.”

Senior Pranita Balusu is currently taking a whopping 5 A.P. exams, advanced placement courses with much more rigor than a regular schedule. She often does not have time for the fun events that other students do, and she does have trouble when final exams come around.

“Having so many exams to review and study for at once can get ridiculous,” Balusu said. “I can manage the school work, but during exam time, keeping all of these subjects straight is hard. A lot of the exams have both a multiple choice and a free response section, so that makes studying even harder.”

It is getting more and more competitive with each year. For the Class of 2014, the system of Valedictorians has changed to a system based on Scholars of Distinction. A.P. classes, a certain ACT score, and a certain G.P.A are factored in to school ranking. These criteria are becoming just another part of student life, and pressure is increasing, especially during times such as exam week.

“There is definitely more pressure these days,” Ms. Messing-Mirabito described. “I wish I could say students have it easier, but they don’t. Some have it  just as hard as those working a 9-5 job.”

Even so, Ms. Messing-Mirabito has some tips for students as a counselor that she believes will help struggling students who do not know where to start.

“Just make sure to keep organized and study notes in chronological order,” Ms. Messing-Mirabito said. “Exams are usually fair. Teachers won’t be springing new material on you, so don’t get too hung up on the details and focus on the big concepts.”