A Very Demanding Week

By Sue Grice 

How can you tell when the first week of the nail-biting AP exams has begun? Typically, you would overhear students asking each other questions such as, "What days and times are your exams on?" or "How much did you study?" Depending on who they are, you'd also see them buried in their four to 115 pages of review notes while walking around campus. Additionally, some other students try to re-learn the entire semester or year's worth of their AP class/es by watching one 28-minute video the day before the exam. Despite all these differences everyone has with their studying methods, everyone should take on what they feel is mentally comfortable for them. There is more than one good way to review for an exam.

Unfortunately, some students may feel dispirited after finishing an AP exam. I have experienced this feeling before as someone who has taken multiple of these. Perhaps they feel this sense of disappointment because they regretted not studying enough, which made answering the exam questions harder. I hope that those who did put in their best effort to review know that that was good enough, and they should be proud. Although the student cannot go back and change how the exam went, they can use this disappointment as a goal to improve for the future (for sure, easier said than done).

Seeking advice from your peers on how to improve in your APs is an essential aspect of getting the score you want on the exam. Your peers have been through the same mocks and classes as you; they may pick up on things you haven't.

I recently asked one of my good friends, Soo Qiao, a senior, for some advice regarding APs and other exams. Here's what she told me: "Don't wait until the last minute to review or study for the exam because it's going to affect your habits and grades. Whenever you take an exam, always remember to relax and never stress yourself out, or you might lose focus."

For the future AP testers reading this, please take note of this advice. It may seem repetitive to hear, but if it means you will take care of your mental health, then this is crucial information. I completely understand how important an AP is for college or university admissions, etc. But, crushing your mental state because you allowed your exam mistakes or the belief that you didn't give your best effort (when you did) to torment you is not worth it. There will be other opportunities for you to achieve your end goals in the future. If your mind crumbles now, you will never reach any of them.