With finals right around the corner, it seems as though panic has already begun setting in. Students are staying caffeinated, putting together final projects, and preparing to spend hours studying for their final exams. As we approach finals season, though, a big question is raised: Which format is most productive for finals?
As a communications major, the majority of my finals are projects that have either been worked on all semester or are introduced in the last one or two months. On the flip side, many of my friends who are science majors spend hours studying for their final exams, surviving on coffee and random snacks. And of course, we can’t forget the dreaded final papers that many students find themselves procrastinating over. So, which is better for retaining information and showcasing what you learned through the semester – final exams, final projects, or final essays?
I believe that final projects are the best way to go. In my opinion, they’re less stressful than a final exam, students are more likely to put more effort into it, and they are more effective at showcasing what the students have actually taken away from courses. With final exams, many students cram everything into their heads at the last minute, just to forget stuff as soon as the exam is placed in front of them. Not to mention, many students simply aren’t good exam takers, making exams unreliable in terms of measuring how much a student has learned.
When it comes to final papers, I’m in the middle ground. I don’t think they’re the worst thing in the world, but at least for me, if I’m not in the creative headspace to write, nothing good is going to come out. This can get stressful when it comes time for finals, especially because the pressure can start to weigh in. They do require students to have a level of understanding of what they’re writing about, but I also think it’s easy for students to feel limited creatively when it comes to papers. When you consider the fact that Lasell is a university so focused on connected learning, it makes sense to have finals where students can creatively apply what they’ve learned throughout the semester as opposed to spending hours trying to memorize everything they’ve been taught.
If more professors took the project approach, I think they’d see more creativity, enjoyment, and understanding in the finals that students hand in. It allows students to showcase what they took away from classes while also being able to apply it to who they are as a student and individual.
–May 15, 2026–
