By: Ethan Guo, Staff Writer
As another AP testing season comes to an end, students across the school are finally getting a chance to relax after weeks of studying, late-night review sessions and stressful exams. From AP United States History to AP Environmental Science, students spent the last two weeks balancing difficult tests while also trying to keep up with other extracurriculars. Throughout the testing period, the atmosphere around the school felt different. Students walked through the halls carrying review packets, flashcards, and calculators while talking about essays, formulas, and multiple-choice questions before exams began. After each test, large groups gathered outside testing rooms, comparing answers and discussing the FRQ and MCQ questions
Many students believed the weeks leading up to AP testing were some of the most stressful parts of the school year. Between studying for several classes at once and managing extracurricular activities, students had little free time. Sophomore Elsie Hagstrom, who took AP Computer Science Principles and AP Government, said preparing for both tests at the same time was difficult but rewarding. “I feel really relieved now that it’s over,” she said. “The weeks before testing were so stressful because I was trying to study for both classes every night, but I think all the work paid off.”
Hagstrom said AP Government especially required a lot of memorization and review. “There were so many court cases and documents to remember,” Hagstrom explained. “After the test ended, everybody just looked confused and exhausted.”
For many juniors, this year’s AP schedule was the hardest. Junior William Fortune took AP English Language and Composition, AP Physics 1, and AP World History. Like many students, he said the hardest part was balancing multiple subjects at once. “For every class, I used a completely different type of studying,” Fortune said. “For AP Physics I was doing practice problems, but for AP Lang I couldn’t even study and had to hope that I paid attention well enough in class.” Fortune said many were especially relieved once the final exams ended. “After my last test, it felt like a huge weight got lifted off my shoulders,” he said. “I walked out of the test room smiling, knowing that I was finally free.”
AP testing has also become somewhat of a shared experience among students. During breaks and lunches, students often talked about difficult questions, what they got, and joked about how little studying they did leading up to the test. Junior Shorbadaman De had one of the busiest testing schedules in the school. He took AP Calculus AB, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, AP English Language and Composition, AP Physics C: Mechanics, and AP World History. And to De, staying organized and starting early was the only way to survive the testing season.
“There were a couple of days where I had to switch from studying physics to economics to English all in one night, I even had to start studying almost 2 months in advance,” he said. Even with the heavy workload, De said he still enjoyed the challenge of taking several AP classes. “It’s stressful while you’re doing it, but finishing the exams feels really satisfying,” he said. “Now everybody can finally relax a little before the school year ends.”
Teachers also noticed the relief students felt after testing finished. In many AP classrooms, review packets and practice tests have been replaced with lighter assignments, movies, and free time. Students who spent months preparing for exams now have a chance to relax before summer begins.
Although scores will not be released until July, many students said they are simply happy the exams are over. For the underclassmen, the experience gave them a better understanding of how demanding AP classes can be. However, for the upperclassmen, it marked the end of months of preparation and hard work.
As the school year enters its final weeks, students are beginning to focus less on materials and more on summer plans, graduation, and the end of the year. After weeks filled with stress, studying, and long exams, AP testing season has officially come to a close.