EasyLoop, a Google Chrome extension, is becoming an increasingly popular way for students to manage their end-of-semester stress. The extension allows easy prediction of final grades by plugging in potential scores.

For example, if a student was trying to predict what they need to get on an upcoming test to keep their grade where they want it, they would select the test category (since it is weighted differently), enter the point value of said test, and then add different scores until they find the lowest grade possible to maintain their grade.

While the extension is a simple tool for figure out just how much time or effort a student needs to put into an assignment or test, there is concern that this kind of approach to school work fosters an undesirable mentality.

Math teacher Nick Schoen believes students are “too obsessed about grades” and worries that using the tool as a means for determining the worst possible performance that will preserve a certain grade may “backfire.” Setting one’s sights as low as possible is not usually an effective way to ensure success.

Junior Jocelyn Poon said she set her “expectations too low” as a result of using EasyLoop.  As a result, she came up short of the minimum score on an assignment and suffered a drop in her letter grade.

While “in an ideal world” Schoen would hope his students strived to achieve the “highest [grade] they could possibly get,” he does see the benefit in giving students the opportunity to effectively manage their time and effort.

There is more to EasyLoop that figuring out how little a student needs to work. Junior Richard Dao said, “EasyLoop is the best way for me to monitor my grades so that by the end of the semester I know exactly where I may have fallen short on and what I can do to improve as a student.”

Poon agreed.  The software allows her to “be informed about the grading process and take control to achieve the grade” that she wants. She also said that it is great way to “reduce stress” as it allows students to develop a plan so that they are not scrambling at the end of a semester.

According to Dao, before he became an avid EasyLoop user, he felt “panicked and anxious” as his final grades were published.  Now, Dao has a “much better experience” come end of the semester as he knows “roughly” what his grades will be.

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