At the end of the semester, students are hoping that they will make the green or gold list, but do the Green and Gold lists affect students in a positive or a negative way? 

The green and gold lists offer students the opportunity to skip certain finals in classes of their choice. If you make it to the green list you can skip one final, if you make it to gold two finals are allowed to be skipped. However, in some classes, students are required to take the final in their class; mostly college classes require their finals to be taken.

Green and gold is an awesome opportunity, but can it affect the student’s education or not? Jensen Elliott, a freshman at Lakeland High-school, stated, “I think that if students try to get good grades they should be able to skip finals if they want.”

Another Lakeland student had an interesting thought, “I think it’s a good program that we do, but there are some downsides. I take honor classes and they can be harder classes, and you would think that it would benefit us but it actually weighs us down.” stated Avery Sherman, a sophomore at Lakeland. 

Sherman also stated that she gives credit to her teachers for also helping her make it to the green and gold list.

The green and gold lists have tremendous upsides and only some downsides. Is it really fair for others who tried and didn’t make it or students who didn’t try?

Addie Kiefer, a junior at Lakeland, said, “I think it’s fair because if you put in the work, you should be able to skip finals.”

Good grades should come with some upsides or some sort of treat. Thankfully Lakeland students have the opportunity to work or look forward to something.