The end of May is approaching and for many students a huge weight has just been lifted off their shoulders. Advanced Placement (AP) exams are finally over and teachers are making it much easier for students to relax and enjoy the rest of the school year.

        Towards the end of the previous academic year, students signed up for the AP courses of their choosing. For most of the first semester, students were not worried about taking the exam because it was so far away. They relaxed, did their homework, took their practice tests, and saw teachers when they needed help, not thinking too much about the final exams that were looming in May. However, a month before the exams saw an overwhelming feeling of anxiety kick in for most students. With very little time remaining, students crammed to pass their exams. Practice books were purchased, late nights were spent studying, and social connections to the outside world were largely cut off.

        Students prepared in numerous ways, including forming studying groups. In the last few weeks before the exams, the Beestro and library were full of scholars quizzing each other on the relevant material. This was an ideal method for many students because it allowed them to hang out with friends and make the tests feel a little less stressful. Another way to feel better prepared was to buy a review book. With the help of Amazon Prime, high schoolers bought books such as Barron’s, Princeton Review, and Crash Course (all delivered in two days, of course) in order to learn all the key facts. These books summarized the material taught by teachers and made the material easy to read. This was helpful because it allowed students to highlight important information and go back later to re-learn it.  Another method, which is essential for almost everyone, was to thoroughly review class notes. Depending on the legibility of the student’s handwriting, this method very well could have been the most impactful on a student’s final test score. These notes may have included incredibly detailed concepts and helped students retain information. With little time to study for a test with a potentially large impact, high schoolers all across campus relied on these methods to pass their exams.

        Taking the exam was the real nightmare. Sometimes during the three hours of test taking, the only hope left for some students was passing with a three and understanding the AP memes on twitter the next day.  After only completing the multiple choice, the free response felt like it would take an eternity to complete. Eventually, the exam was finished! Walking out of the library felt like Atlas hurling the earth to his side. The satisfaction of completing the exam meant that a huge task in one’s life had been successfully checked off.

        After the exams, students have found that their classes are easier. The daily homework load has significantly diminished. This left high schoolers with time to relax and less stress about school. Teachers have decided to make classwork more lax by assigning small projects or, occasionally, showing popular movies. Although the work leading up to the AP exam was rough, the exhilaration of finishing made the decision to take such difficult classes well worth it.