The A.P. exams are approaching quickly, but don’t let that stress you out! A.P. exams are a great way for students to get a step ahead on college. Advanced Placement classes are college-level courses for high school students to take. During the course of the school year, the class prepares students for an exam in May that has the possibility of granting college credits. The A.P. exams begin May 7th to the 11th and continues into the next week from the 14th to the 18th. With the time creeping up quick, the Juniors and Seniors involved in A.P. may be feeling stressed out and unprepared, but there is no need!
As the school year winds to an end, it may seem easy to get off track on schoolwork and harder to pay attention to the information. However, the A.P. curriculum does not stop for time and these last pieces of learning are still as important to what was taught last month. Stay focused and on top of homework to be one step ahead on the studying for the exam.
Although you may still need to be concentrating on learning the last bits of material, it is vital to start reviewing the information you learned throughout the school year. The idea seems daunting, but remember that you have seen the information before and your teacher has prepared you well. There are many different ways to review. Break the information down into steps and the mountain of coursework will appear much smaller. There are A.P. review books available online to buy that summarize the course and highlight the important information. The books may also include practice exams styled similar to the actual exam to help prepare you, or you can find some on College Board’s website. It is important and incredibly helpful to become familiar with the format of the test. Find out if an essay is required, and if so, practice writing one in order to prepare. As a Senior who took A.P. exams last year and will be this year, my personal favorite way to review is with Youtube videos. There are several helpful review videos online that breakdown the information in a simple way. If you are taking the APUSH exam, check out “JoczProductions” and “Adam Norris” on Youtube for helpful chapter by chapter reviews of the textbook. Currently, I am preparing for the Biology exam using “Bozeman Science” videos, in which they explain and demonstrate difficult subjects in an easy way. As well as review videos, there are also summaries and reviews of chapters on your coursework online that I found very helpful. Find the best way to study that works for you, and start! These exams can change your college experience in an incredibly positive way, so try your best, but remember to not focus your entire life on the test. Stay well-rested and do not worry! I know you will do great. I am sending all those taking A.P. exams prayers to get the 5! Good luck!
By Erin McDermott
