Christina Kingan ’23
EE Features Editor
As juniors finish up their SAT and NGSS assessments, many must now prepare for AP season. AP tests start in early May and many teachers advise students to start their studying process soon to ensure that they can cover all content with the much needed comprehension of the material.
Recommended methods of studying include practice questions, reviewing material through reading the textbook, and looking over past tests. Teachers will usually urge students to look over past notes and try to review the highlights from each unit. Making sure a student has a reasonable understanding of the entire course is crucial. However, this can be a hefty amount of reading. YouTube videos are very effective and, speaking from experience, provide a student with a strong understanding of the main concepts necessary to know. All AP classes will have YouTube videos or Khan Academy videos at students’ disposal.
Junior Caitlin Carley encourages students to “purchase the class’ flashcards and preparatory test book and spend thirty to forty minutes studying in the days leading up to the exam”. She found this method very helpful and felt prepared to be successful on the test.
AP tests can cause student stress and it is easy to become overwhelmed by the amount of material needed to review. It is important to remember that every minute of studying dedicated will only help your score, no matter how much you study!
Starting is one of the most difficult steps, so keep in mind that anything you do will be beneficial. One tip from past experiences is to divide your workload into sections. For example, AP United States History consists of 9 units. All will be covered on the AP test which can be intimidating. However, when you split up the course into sections, it seems like less work to review. Two days can be dedicated to the first unit, and the next two days for unit 2 and so forth.
Remember to try your best and do not hesitate to reach out to teachers and upper classmen for guidance on how to excel on your exam.