Opinion by: Laura Wuthnow
Spring break assignments just sound terrible when teachers talk about it. Doing schoolwork over break? Yeah, that doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. However, the AP government spring break assignment wasn’t that big of a deal if you ask me.
Yes, it was 622 questions, but the test was “open Google” and the week before break we got three class periods to work on it with peers. That really helped me because I got 230 questions finished before break and that left me with 392 questions for break.
The spring break assignment actually helped me learn things that I didn’t know. Over Thanksgiving break we had to teach a chapter to ourselves and I did not really learn much, but with the test, I looked up the answers in the book and I actually learned things that I didn’t know before. I feel like the Government test had a really bad rep and I remember thinking, “Oh great a ton of work for spring break” but, in reality, it wasn’t that much for one or, really, two weeks.
I feel like break assignments can be also be super helpful. In Mr. Duffy’s algebra 2 classes, he gave us an option for extra credit. I didn’t take advantage of it because I didn’t really understand it, I was too lazy to complete it and I was okay with my grade. In German, we were allowed to go back on Quia to improve our grades from past assignments and it was a chance to get head in the class with vocabulary and things. I did spend 21 minutes getting ahead, but since I had done more than assigned in the class with previous assignments, so it wasn’t that big deal to me trying to get my grade up. For other students, it was a chance to get a passing grade.
Overall, I think spring break assignments are a nuisance because you have to actually use your brain and put in a little effort to finish it, but it really helps. Especially in AP classes, it helps you keep up and make sure that you’re ready for the AP test. It also helps you go over things that maybe you forgot or that you don’t remember.