Lauren Spiotta, a junior art major, studies diligently andcorrelates strong grades to thorough preparation and nothing to dowith “last minute scrounging,” like looking throughpast tests.

Grades are on the forefront of students’ minds as finalsrapidly approach. While some students spend their time cramming,others spend their time more selectively, “scrounging”for copies of past exams.

Test files in sorority and fraternity houses are hardly a newidea.

In fact, many greek houses have tests dating back to themid-90s. But does this give greeks an unfair advantage in classeswith grading based off of exams?

Not anymore.

Apparently, students are not the only ones who have discoveredtest files, as many professors now give students past exams tostudy from.

“Test files aren’t such a help nowadays,” saidKristin Wadsworth, a non-affiliated junior business major.”Teachers give you mock exams to study, usually from anothersemester. A teacher once told us to look for old tests to studyfrom.”

Allison Leuszler, a junior business major and member of theKappa Alpha Theta sorority, believes test files are worthless.

“I have never used the test files,” Leuszler said.”It isn’t trustworthy.

“Spending time looking for a test could be used to simplystudy the material. I practice the honor code,” she said.

Regardless of a student’s position with the greek system,many students say others who spend their time searching for oldtests usually end up receiving worse grades than had they simplystudied the material.

Whitney Sprague, a junior advertising major, said she is”hesitant on using test files.”

Sprague, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, doesn’t trust oldtests, especially as prime study material.

Some students, like Lexi Sereni, a sophomore corporatecommunications major, keep past semesters of work.

Sereni, a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority, has beenable to help friends from all affiliations with her old tests,proving it unnecessary to be in a greek house to use a test filessystem.

“Test files are only beneficial if used the rightway,” Sereni said. “They’re helpful forpracticing and studying for a test. I’ve used tests fromother classes, studying the form, questions, and material, inaddition to my individual studying.”

Chase Hassan, sophomore economics major, also uses hisfraternity’s test files as additional study material.

“It’s helpful to see how teachers word theirproblems,” Hassan said.

“You can test yourself from old tests to help in the realthing. I didn’t use the old tests to cheat but rather as anextensive study guide,” he said.