For many students at Obsourn, the SOL (Standards of Learning) is the final test that determines what a student should know by the end of a grade. It’s a state mandated test that was created in 1995, and has been updated and improved upon each year to meet the conditions that the state wants you to meet.

The test covers four different areas of learning: English, Social Studies, Math, and Science. Each subject gets more specific depending on what class you take. For example, some are taking the Intro to Environment SOL, while some are taking the Biology SOL.

“I’m taking the Algebra 1 SOL, as well as the Biology SOL,” said Gracelyn Wittig, a freshman.

The SOL is very important for measuring the growth of a student, so preparing for the SOL is important as well. There are many ways of doing this. “I’ve prepared for the SOL through studying my past classwork,” said Wittig. Another way of studying is listening to advice from other students, or teachers. “The way I’m studying is that I’m going over old notes, and the ones that my teacher said was important for the SOL,” said Micheal Fontaine.

The SOL is also very stressful. The end of the school year is a stressful time already, with grades due and work that needs to be finished. State testing is just another thing to worry about. “I really hate how stressful and long it is,” said Wittig.

The length of the test is also something that a lot of students don’t like. “A thing that I’m a bit worried about is how long it takes, and how many questions it has,” said Donavin Williams, a sophomore. Not only are the length of the tests stressful for some, but also how many there are. “I hate how many there are. Because if you have that many long tests, it’s exhausting,” said Fontaine.

Another thing is the testing room. “I don’t think it’s good, how uncomfortable the room is,” said Allison Avila.

“I don’t like how long we have to stay in the room, even if you’re done,” said Adrian Ramos.

The SOL is still very important, however. There are important benefits that come with it. The SOL is the main way that teachers decide what level of a class to put you in. “The important thing about it is knowing what you know about a certain subject, and then choosing what classes you have next year,” said Williams.

They are also mainly used to track improvement in a student over time. “The SOLs are useful because it’s good to see how far you’ve grown,” said Ramos. They are also motivators. “It really motivates me to study and learn more, and it’s satisfying when you get the score you were hoping for,” said Avila.

After you finish the SOL, you have either passed or failed it. If you passed, then you have nothing to worry about. “After the SOLs, it’s going to be little to no work, so that’s why I’m still going,” said Fontaine. It’s something to keep you motivated.

If you don’t pass, then you are able to retake it. If your grade is in between 375-399, then you get to retake the tests the week after. “I want to get a enough grade to at least be able to retake it quickly,” said Ramos.

The most important thing to remember is to relax. If you are stressed about doing something, it’s going to make the process of doing it much harder than it already is. “I was highly concerned at first, but after studying, I feel much more relaxed now,” said Avila.