For high schoolers around the world, “finals” indirectly translates to stress, cramming, and all-nighters spent studying. For many Dubs, however, that isn’t necessarily the case, as North Atlanta gives students an opportunity that many are extremely familiar with: the opportunity to exempt final exams. In many classes, students who meet certain requirements can exempt their final exams entirely, even getting an excused absence for that specific class period—a privilege that nearby private school students could only dream of.
This opportunity is not available in all classes, as EOC, AP, and IB courses require midterms. Some IB classes, those that are not testing that year, also require end-of-year exams. However, all other course exams can be exempt as long as the student has a weighted 90% or higher, was enrolled for at least 75% of the semester, has no ISS or OSS, no cheating incidents, no class cuts, no more than five tardies, and no more than four late assignments. It may sound like a lot, but the system is designed to encourage students to put consistent effort into their classes. And with that consistent effort, the requirements are easier to meet than they may seem—at least according to sophomore Cora Butler. “When I show up and put effort in, it isn’t hard to meet the requirements,” she said. “Plus, it’s totally worth it!”
Finals are infamous for setting high schoolers up for weeks of stress, sleepless nights, and dropping grades. For freshman Jackson Clay, finals were a big worry during his first year of high school. The thought of long tests that covered material from the entire year seemed like nightmare fuel, but thanks to North Atlanta’s exemption policy and his hard work, he was able to exempt most of his exams this semester. “It’s super helpful and definitely saved me a ton of time,” he said. “I’ve got to start my holiday break early!”
Even when students are unable to exempt every final, just exempting a few can make a substantial difference. With fewer assignments and less studying to worry about, Warriors can spend their time doing other things. For sophomore Zoe Piernik, those “other things” included studying for finals for her four AP classes, which she was unable to exempt. “It made a huge difference and definitely improved my performance,” she said. “Instead of studying for eight finals, I could spend more time studying for four.”
North Atlanta’s final exam exemption policy is more than a perk. It is a system that rewards consistent effort, reduces stress, and allows students to focus on their lives outside of school. As all policies and privileges do, it comes with its own requirements and exceptions, but that doesn’t take away from the benefits—the decreased stress and increased downtime that every Dub is more than grateful for.
