AP Exams Shake Down Students Before Summer Break

By Alex Marshall, Reporter

Across the country, students are grinding their teeth in fear of their AP tests.

Some have already gotten through the process. For example, those taking AP Environmental Science had their test last Monday.

As intimidating as the program can seem, AP classes do not have to the towering beast that some students feel they are.

AP classes are a lot of hard work and do require someone who is ambitious in their education, but it doesn’t take an absolute genius to get a 5 on an exam- it takes dedication.

Senior Madison Tomasic has taken several AP tests in her day and is taking 2 this year.

“I was always scared of AP tests, but as I got more used to them they weren’t as scary anymore. It just takes time and practice,” said Tomasic.

In this week of finishing up AP exams, students should remember that they need to remain cool headed when going through their test.

Students who work themselves up and get frustrated do worse than those who will say skip a question if they don’t know it, rather than wasting 5 minutes trying to come up with an answer.

Another fairly obvious technique is to study, but that doesn’t mean sit down with a textbook and read for several hours.

Youtube, Quizlet and Khan Academy are online resources with a plethora of information and study guides for students to browse coming up to their big day.

Many find that chewing a specific flavor of gum while studying and chewing the same flavor during the test can help students remember more.

Stress management while preparing can also be a big key in doing well on AP Tests.

Junior Kelly Porter is all too familiar with the stress that comes around the AP test time.

“I swear if I don’t pace myself when I’m studying or even taking the test, my brain like fries. I have to be cool, calm and collected for I delve into any of that,” said Porter.

Waking up around the time you would for school on the weekend and making sure you aren’t overloaded with work will boost your mental health as you approach the test date.

Plan your outfits, get your backpack ready and prep your breakfast ahead of time in the morning because you are going to want a calm, stress free morning, and you definitely want to eat something before your test.
Finally, the best piece of advice is to be happy. Summer is almost here, don’t let one AP test ruin it.