Arrowhead’s first semester is winding down, this means that first semester exams are coming soon. Exams will occur the week of January 22nd, and students will have Friday, January 26th off to close off first semester.

Exams are held at the end of both first and second semester, and count for 15 to 20% of a student’s overall grade. Exams are a way for teachers to record a cumulative grade that shows that students understood the material they learned throughout the semester according to Arrowhead Teacher Steve Melzer .

Exams will begin on Tuesday, January 23, and will last through the Thursday of the week. Tuesday will be for periods one, two and three. Wednesday will follow with periods fourth, fifth/sixth, and seventh. They will conclude Thursday with periods within, ninth, and 10th.

Exams are held as one hour periods and because of this, students go to school from their normal start time until either 10:40 or 10:50 depending on campus. To ge a better look at the schedule please visit here.

Typically During exam week, therapy dogs will be brought in to the library for students to play with to relax a bit says Ann Olsen.  Many Arrowhead  teachers also offer help and are willing to give it if students ask.

According to Business Insider, there are many tips to stay focused and productive during exam week. Some of these tips included making a to do list, taking breaks, work in quiet, devoting specific times to tasks, and minimizing multitasking.

Senior Keenan Cuculi says, “Exams are a stressful time, but it’s always easier when you work hard and put your time in studying.”

If stress and test anxiety is the problem, Healthline suggests exercise, avoiding procrastination, deep breathing, yoga, time with animals, and spending down time with people who positively influence you.

Exercise produces endorphins which act like a natural painkiller rusign stress, says the Anxiety and Depression Association of america.

Yoga is also a great way to relieve stress, and the Mayo Clinic says that yoga  can lower your blood pressure and lower your blood rate. According to the Mayo Clinic the health benefits of yoga include stress reduction, improved focus, and improved fitness.

Senior Maggie Hartnett says, “Meditation and yoga is important for me especially during finals, it relieves my stress and keeps me focused on something other than school.”