By AUDREY WILENTA – CHS freshmen came into school on Thursday morning, Nov. 12, anticipating to take their first midterms.

Midterms test students on material from marking period one to assess their knowledge.

Freshman Leah Kazenmayer of Wall said she thought midterms have both pros and cons.

“I think they can help students recap what they’ve already learned … but it takes so much time to prepare that it is sort of a waste of time,” Kazenmayer said.

Freshman Grace McCaffrey of Middletown said she struggles with the weight of midterm grades.

“I think [midterms] shouldn’t count for as much of the grade as they do … and I think students focus more on getting grades than actually understanding the material,” McCaffrey said.

Freshman Liam Marshall of Sea Girt said he spent a lot of time studying for midterms.

“My hardest midterm was biology, and I probably studied for over 12 hours,” Marshall said.

As marking period two begins, freshmen shift their focus back to their classes with their first set of major exams behind them.