Meghan Guarnieri
Reporter
While the first week of March provides freshman, and many juniors and seniors with sleep-ins, it provides the remainder with number 2 pencils, scantrons, and the Connecticut Academic Performance Test, also known as CAPT.
Many upperclassmen who passed the CAPT enjoy the idea of an additional break from the school routine. “CAPT week is awesome because it triples our vacations,” senior Andrew Leslie said.
Some students are so gung ho over CAPT week, they see no reason to come to school. “It’s a week of sleep-ins for everyone,” junior Joe Costigan said. “They should just give us the whole week off.”
But others indicated that there’s an unfairness to the sophomore CAPT schedule compared with that of a freshman, junior or senior. “CAPT week sucks for sophomores and is great for everyone else,” Joe said.
And many sophomores are certainly feeling the stress and the pressure. “It sucks that I have to take them,” sophomore Amy Morrison said of CAPT. “Last year I took advantage of the time off, and now I am the one taking them. It is just added stress.”
Though many teachers try to prepare sophomores for CAPTs, there is no guarantee that preparation will ensure a student’s success. “I have been told that there is no way to prepare,” Amy said, “so that makes it more intimidating.”
Another added stress for sophomores is the understanding that if they fail a section, they must retake that portion of the test the following year. “I am scared to fail. I don’t want to retake it next year,” sophomore Kelly Curtin said. “It would mean a lot more studying.”
Already, freshman anxiety is building for next year’s exams. “[I’m] worried about preparing for next year,” freshman Keith Singman said. But Keith also said that he thinks freshmen are lucky because “we get to go to school later.”
