By: Essence Buckman, Staff writer

Midterms. Midterm grades. Not many college students like the sound of those words. There is scarcely a positive response to opening the attachment on one’s student profile to view their grades, especially if one recently took a midterm exam before those grades were finalized.

Due to the fact that this topic causes a great deal of stress, many question its purpose. Some people question if receiving official grades in the middle of the semester is necessary. The reason is simple: that moment of viewing those grades can make or break someone’s confidence.

Some people still agree to receiving midterm grades regardless of the result.

“[Midterm grades] give a good estimate for how a student is doing in a class,” sophomore Olivia McGowan states.

When asked why people are against those grades, McGowan says: “Sometimes, by the middle of the semester there haven’t been enough grades to generate an accurate midterm grade.”

For a response against midterm grades, sophomore Kentrice Cameron says: “No. Because a lot of the time the professors don’t give midterms to all students. It’s only based off of the grade you already have. So you already know your grade and a label is being put on it. It’s stressful.”

When also asked why people are against the grades, Cameron states that “[The grades] are stressful.”

Regardless of student opinion, midterm grades are still released.

“If a student is doing poorly in a class,” McGowan says, “a midterm grade can be a positive push for them to improve their grade.”

In contrast to McGowan’s statement, Cameron says, “I don’t think midterms are positive because they don’t mean anything and I know my grade. I don’t need to be told because I see my grade on Moodle. Midterm exams throw a lot of stress on students just because it’s the middle of the semester.”

Wofford is believed to be a rigorously academic school by many, so the topic of midterms seems to be a very sensitive issue. Whether one agrees or disagrees to the way grades are officially distributed, students are encouraged to speak up to those in authority in order for their opinions to be heard. For example, Campus Union has a box in Burwell where a student can put a concern on an official slip of paper to be discussed at their meetings. So again, if the issue of midterm grades are really important to a student, they are encouraged to state their case of why.