A little common sense, and let simple economics dictate the rest.

As a high school student, I find it pretty hard not to notice the large, standardized tests encroaching more and more upon our lives.  High school is saturated with examinations.  Because of 'No Child Left Behind,' my school implemented midterms and finals for the first time this year.  The only thing these dreadful abominations accomplish is wasting an entirely usable month of the year.  The tests are a detriment to the success of our educational system; they sap up much of the time that could be spent learning new things or more thoroughly covering topics.  Furthermore, they encourage cramming.  According to Professor Thomas H. Mentos, author of The Human Mind, we quickly forget all the information that we cram; after 30 days, only 20 percent remains.  

I made a rough attempt at tallying up all the hours a student may spend during high school taking and studying for midterms and finals.  Assuming that five hours are spent studying for each test and that five midterms and five finals are taken, 50 hours are spent studying each year.  If each test is an hour and a half, that adds 15 hours.  Thus, 65 hours are spent on midterms and finals each year.  Multiply that number by four and you get 260.  

If one were to get a job at minimum wage in New Jersey (which is or will soon be 7.25 $ per hour) and work 260 hours, the result would be a wage (with 1/3 deducted because of taxes) of 3,380$.  A smart student would put the $3,380 in the bank and save it for retirement, because 3,380 dollars being in a savings account with 5 percent interest for fifty years would end up being $38,759.81. 

Hmmm.  I know what I'd rather be doing.