The Stress of AP Testing

During AP exam weeks, MHS students had to change their day to day schedules to make room for the long hours of preparation it takes to get a 4 or a 5 on their AP tests.

“AP tests were really stressful for me because I basically had to put the rest of my life on hold to study for them. Everyday leading up to the test I would get home at 3 and study nonstop until 12. I refused to stop studying until I knew every event in American history for APUSH,” said junior Megan Phalin. “It was not only stressful studying nonstop during the week of the test but the weekend after the AP test was just as stressful because I had to spend the entire weekend doing all of the homework I put off doing from the week before because of AP testing.”

Like many other juniors taking AP United States History, Megan put off the homework assigned by her other classes to make room for AP studying. Students often do not start preparing until a week before the exam so that they have all of the information needed to study, which was an obstacle for those who had activities going on outside of school like sports. With the workload given to students in their core classes, especially honors classes, setting aside time to learn and memorize an entire year’s worth of work for college-level classes proves to be a struggle each year. Juniors are especially busy as the most critical point in their academic career as highschool students happens to be at the same time as AP testing, SATs and ACTs, and starting to gather what is needed for the college application process.

On the other hand, some students like junior Vivian Lee took a more positive approach to AP testing. “Juggling track, multiple tutors, music lessons, and studying for the APUSH exam was an experience. The week prior to the test I spent days at school, afternoons at track, and nights at the Drew University Library. Although that week was extremely busy, I kind of enjoyed having a set schedule every day and having a new place to sit down. Studying with a friend made it fun and exciting, no matter how crazy that sounds.”

Even with her busy schedule, Vivian made the most of her time by trying to enjoy the AP testing process. While it may have been difficult for the anxious students of MHS to find time to complete everything while still keeping up with schoolwork and their extracurriculars, others did their best not to stress themselves out and keep in mind that the end of the school year is near.
Now that the hard work that had to be put into studying for the tests has finally been paid off, these students now have more free time, less finals to prepare for, and have already finished the curriculum for the year in those classes. Whether it’s making food in AP Biology and AP Statistics or watching historical films in APUSH, these students can enjoy their last month in highschool and get ready for the finals they still have to take in June for the rest of their classes.