Rain with the Sun Out

The title of this post is not just something that happens in movies. It's not just in books or poems, and certainly not just in one's imagination. No, it can definitely rain with the run out, like how it did yesterday when I was walking home from the bus. And in case you were wondering, it wasn't nice and romantic. It was cold and heavier than I though it was going to be. It's also reflective, so for a moment it seemed like snow. Or maybe I'm just missing winter. 

It's finals review week, which is really more like underclassmen-panic week. So that's pretty entertaining, because as a senior I couldn't be bothered to flat-out panic. Sure, I'm studying like the rest, but I'm not constantly calculating how many questions I need to get right to get an A or anything. Maintaining my current grades is all I really need to do this semester!

It's kind of funny to watch everyone studying far harder than they have been the rest of the semester. There are some people who I was fairly certain have never opened a book now pouring over them. Well, I guess that is the spirit of finals, and it got me thinking.

Considering the emphasis we put on exams, does it mean anything when we actually take them? Is there a reason for them in high school, other than as preparation for college or whatever? Some teachers don't like finals, or give creative ones. Personally I think they should be optional if you already have an A+ in the class because you have obviously demonstrated that you know the material. If the school is going to make such a fuss about this standards system, then why is there a last-ditch chance to adjust one's grades? Seems illogical.