Final exams are stressful enough but a project as a class final adds more pressure, making the finals experience more stressful.
A test as a final is the traditional route professors usually take and it works. Studying for a final test is no easy task, taking a lot of the students time especially when a majority of students have jobs. Though time consuming, students will be able to challenge themselves, having earned their grades and professors will be able to see what they have learned throughout the course.
Doing a project as a final has its flaws as students are able to take advantage. Final projects focus on one topic instead of everything that has been shown throughout the semester. A final project shows that students are studying and prepared for one chapter and focused on one part of the semester.
When doing a final project it is something that the students are able to do from home and have other outside help from other individuals. Receiving help is not a bad thing but sometimes projects are done by another person while the student is given a good grade for a project he or she did not do.
When doing a final test, students have to study everything that they have seen in class from the beginning of the semester. It sounds like a lot of work but if the student has been there and has paid attention in class the final should be a walkthrough of the semester. In a final test you have to give the right answer and some professors help you out with that by making it a multiple-choice test. Yes, some students do cheat on tests as they do with the projects but it is more difficult to do so as the professor is in the same classroom.
Professors make these projects difficult and can assign the project as a group project, where you would have to work with others. Working with others isn’t easy and sometimes can ruin your grade when not everyone pitches in and does their part. If one person is not up to par, the grades of all involved are affected.
Professors are finding new and creative ways to do finals in their class but why change anything if final exams have been around for a long time and have worked well within the classroom. Projects are an easy way out for the students as an exam may be difficult. At the end of it when the students pass the exam not only do they feel good about themselves but they also take with them what they learned in the class.
Related article: Project finals are better than final exams
