This year, Padua Academy changed the midterm schedule. In past years, the schedule was four consecutive days of testing with a long weekend afterwards. This year, there were two testing days, followed by a three day weekend, then another two days of testing with classes resuming the following day. This new schedule gave students an extra three days to study instead of cramming all the tests into one week. Unfortunately, the three days  were spent studying instead of relaxing and hanging out with friends and family. With the new schedule, students did not get a break after testing because classes started up again the next day. The good thing about the old schedule was that the long weekend afterwards was stress-free. Padua girls had mixed emotions about the new midterm schedule.

Bridget Hughes (‘15) said that midterms will not be as stressful because there is a weekend in between the testing days. Sophomores Ali Frey and Grace Hunsanger both wish midterms were before Christmas break. They generally like the new schedule, especially the weekend in between.

Sacha Kazeem (‘12) has taken midterms with the old schedule since she started at Padua. She does not like the new schedule because it is “a waste of the weekend.” Bernadette Land (‘13) and Kristen Holowka (‘13) agree with one another by simply saying, “out with the new, and in with the old.” Senior Gretchen Rodammer is still undecided about the new schedule. She said that there are definitely pros and cons of each schedule.

Ashley Barnett (‘14) liked having the weekend to study, but found it stressful because some teachers gave tests on the days right before and after midterms, but overall she got good grades. Becca Kowalski (‘13) said, “I liked the break in between, but I did not like that the midterms were backed up by school days on both sides.”