Stress

I'm pretty sure I've gone over this topic before, but as the end of the school year draws near I feel obliged to bring it up yet again. Do you remember what the end of the year was like in middle school? The last week of school was always the best because it was straight up parties and hanging out during class. After all, nothing really counted any more, grades were already pretty much up and the only thing left to do was relax and wait for summer to come. Now though? Finals week.
I really want someone, preferably a teacher, to explain to me the point of finals week. All it does is cause children unnecessary stress and anxiety all for some stupid tests, most of which are worth a lot more than they should be. For most teachers, finals week is when they test everything that we've learned. Why? What's that even going to do? If we fail it are you going to re-teach us? I think that they should only give finals to failing students. The students that have straight As must know the material, after all they've passed the tests that they had taken earlier in the year. But if the final comes up and they've had a shitty day or something and they bomb it then poof, there goes the straight As.
Sometimes finals aren't even worth that much. In my math class last year I got a C on my math final and still had an A in the class. I'm really confused as to how this happens because... just.. BECAUSE. It doesn't make a lick of sense to me! Finals are just as effective as exit exams, and we all know how worthless those things are. This is about stress though, and boy is finals week damn stressful. All weeks beforehand we have one key phrase drilled into our heads "IF YOU FAIL YOUR FINALS YOU FAIL THE CLASS." look at that sentence and tell me that it doesn't cause any worry for the people taking the tests. I'm the most nervous about... well all of my finals are making me nervous.
I fell asleep for the second half of the math year so I don't remember anything
Art final is a presentation and I have 'stage fright'
History final has a shitload of questions and since we're doing a research report we don't have time to study.
English final is A-OK. Thanks Sutherland :)
Judo final is the WORST because we have to demonstrate a bunch of stuff and I'm not the best at judo.
I don't understand french.
See what I'm dealing with here? I'm only okay with one of the finals and it's the one for my English class, I have an A in it anyway. I have a 4.0 right now, if I keep it then next summer (not this summer) I get to go on a trip to Russia. Do you know how badly I want to go to Russia? I could kill someone if it meant going there, that's how bad I want to go. My parents offered to let me go this summer but I decided to go to something else instead, something more important to me (an anime convention LOL) but.. maybe if I save up and get good grades then my parents will let me go in the summer. Maybe they'll even let me go for a semester or something! that'd be so badass. Then again, however, I want to be comfortable speaking the language.
Everyone gets stressed during finals week though, the only comforting feeling that I have is that everyone is in the same boat, I don't have a right to complain much. I hope I don't crack under the pressure though... I feel like one day I will. Of the classes I take tests for I'm the most worried about math and judo, since they're the classes that I have the most erm.. difficulty with (I don't have trouble in either, but I'm uncomfortable with testing in those classes.)