The week before October break is usually a time when students look forward to resting. This year, however, students faced multiple summative assignments; difficult tests and college applications collided in the same week. Since grades are placed in PowerSchool the week after the break, most work had to be submitted before the break. For seniors, college applications added even more pressure. Elisa Vasquez, a Senior at TCS applying to more than ten colleges, experienced these challenges firsthand. 

“I’ve been doing over 8 college applications at the moment, plus all the stress this week because of assignments; it’s been really hard for me,” she said. 

Balancing applications with schoolwork made an already demanding week even more difficult. Likewise, Mariana Duque, a senior at TCS taking many AP courses, said she had 2 tests for financial math, one for AP Calculus BC, an ISC design project, and the final environmental and Spanish presentations. She emphasized the unattainable expectations placed on students. 

“Teachers sometimes place unreasonable due dates, the instructions are often vague, and the recoups are almost impossible,” she said. 

Her concerns suggest that the challenge involves both the amount of work and the time students have to complete it. Moreover, the pressure increased as students faced several assessments across different subjects. Instead of having major assignments distributed throughout the quarter, many students had tests, projects, and presentations due within the same few days. 

Vasquez explained, “I’ve had from projects to tests to presentations, all summative, all the same week.” With multiple important grades at stake, students struggled to give each assignment enough attention.

Violeta Gallon, another Senior student at TCS, shared similar concerns. 

“I find myself with a lot of assignments because most teachers put final exams or projects in the same week. I feel overwhelmed,” she said.

When several major assignments are due together, students must divide their attention between them. 

Gallon added, “I can’t do everything with my best effort because of the quantity of them.” This pressure can affect the quality of students’ work.

The week became even more complicated on Thursday, when students took a mandatory “Prueba Saber 11” or ICFES mock exam that took all school day, reducing the time available for regular classes and assignments, and mentally exhausting students even more. 

Duque questioned the difference between students’ deadlines and teachers’ grading time: “Why do we have only a few days to do the work? But teachers have over 2 weeks to grade these final assignments?” 

Her question highlights students’ frustration with the limited time available. Also, for Vasquez, the problem reflects a larger issue with how schools schedule assessments. She believes deadlines should be distributed more evenly. 

“There has to be a change for future generations with the timelines that teachers have, and administrators place on the quarters and distributions of summative assignments,” she said.

Beyond academics, the workload can also affect students’ well-being. 

Gallon explained, “All of this academic stress and overload doesn’t only make me feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed; it also makes it hard to have a good night’s sleep.” 

With deadlines approaching, students may struggle to find enough time to rest. Duque also described the impact of losing a school day to the mock exam. 

“This week had ICFES simulacro which took a day away from the assignments, and we had to resolve on our own; the school is not being empathetic with their students,” she said. 

Despite having less regular class time, students still had to meet their original deadlines.

As October break approaches, students hope to recover from an intense week. They are not asking for academic responsibilities to disappear, but for better coordination between assessments and school activities. By distributing deadlines more evenly and considering students’ available time, teachers and administrators could maintain academic standards while creating a more manageable workload.