Many students at Bedford Middle School have siblings at Staples. And those many students have more than likely heard their siblings complain about midterms around January and February. From what we’ve heard, these midterms are awful. So, to many of the school’s 8th graders’ shock, they also have midterms.

They’re all asking, “Why do we have midterms?” and, “Isn’t this a high schooler thing?”
As the midterms approach, 8th graders find themselves more frustrated and concerned. With the exams bearing down, they are starting to look for answers on why they need to take these tests. So, in order to answer these questions and ease some of the stress, I interviewed 8th-grade math teacher Tracy Murphy.

After sitting down with her, I began asking her questions. Upon asking why 8th graders have midterms, she responded, “To keep information fresh, because there’s no way to remember what you did three months ago, and it also prepares you for high school.” Another question on the minds of 8th graders is: “When should I start studying?”

When asked this, she replied “You should never stop. Cramming, we know, doesn’t work. Keeping what you know and reviewing is important.” There is a very common fear that the midterms will be extremely difficult, so I inquired about how difficult the test would be, and Mrs. Murphy responded, “It’d be the same as previous exams and quizzes; It’s fair.”
It seems like there isn’t much to the story. Does the 8th grade like midterms? Not particularly, no. But are they here to stay? Yes, so it would be wise to start preparing and reviewing your classes’ papers.