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Isabella Zhou, Parto Minouei, and Claire Zhong

From Jitters to Jubilation: The Rollercoaster of Emotions Surrounding AP Exams

Let’s face it: Sentinel is filled with workaholic students pursuing AP courses at an alarming rate. In this article, we’ve interviewed several students who have completed a variety of AP courses to get their perspective on the courses, exams, and stresses of an AP student, both before and after the exams.


1. The ‘calm’ before the storm


Grace, Amy, Lu, and another senior student who chose to remain anonymous were among the first to be interviewed. Collectively, they have all taken AP Art–whether it be AP 2D Design, AP Drawing, or AP Photography–amongst other APs such as AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP Computer Science, and both AP Literature and AP Language. With their credibility established, here’s what we found.


Why would someone choose to take APs? For the four interviewees above, it came down to three primary motivations: to challenge themselves; to test-trial a subject at the university level; or for college credits. Though these reasons are all valid, one repeated piece of advice is to take APs in the subjects you have genuine interest in. Wanting to challenge yourself is nice, but when there’s no solid foundation of passion or interest behind taking an AP course, it can become a drag. Both Lu and Amy adamantly emphasize that if it wasn’t for their genuine interest in architecture and the arts, it would have been near impossible to finish their AP Art Portfolios.


Another word of caution from all those interviewed is this: don’t take AP courses because they are AP. At the end of the day, AP classes are university-level courses. They are hard. That paired with the fact that you also need to pay ~$100 USD per exam, simply taking classes for the prestigious title of “AP” is not worth it.


A piece of advice from Lu is to use stress to your advantage. Let’s face it: the nature and structure of AP makes stress inevitable. This does not have to be a bad thing though! For the chronic procrastinators among us, stress can be a healthy motivator–when structured right. Let that tiny voice in the back of your head guide you into doing what’s necessary; sometimes a tiny dose of panic is what’s needed to jumpstart someone into action. With that being said, it is necessary to take a break from the hectic chaos of AP prep once in a while–even if it’s in the form of small things, such as taking a short walk, as Amy suggests, or watching some much anticipated Kpop MVs, as recommended by Lu, Amy, and Grace. In the case of AP Art, taking a break is especially important–a pair of fresh eyes can often give new inspiration or insights into what may otherwise be a stale piece.


Lastly, one very helpful nugget of wisdom–as testified by numerous AP English students–is to practice handwriting essays, fast. In the digital, modern world, AP tests still require essays to be handwritten. Considering how, for both AP Language and AP Literature, 3 essays need to be written in the span of 2 hours, you can bet being able to write fast can give you one hell of an advantage.


2. The aftermath


After a whirlwind of colorful test packets, filled-in bubble sheets, inky fingers, and staticky shrink-wrap, Sentinel’s AP students emerged from AP season with more knowledge (hopefully) and less hair (unfortunately). The ordeal was over.


As AP exams drew to a close, the collective sigh of relief from high school students could be heard echoing through the hallways. Among these students, Alice and Isha each shared and reflected on their own remarkable journey into the world of AP courses.


Alice, who is a Grade 12 student, took a whopping ten AP courses spanning from Grades 10 to 12. She chose these courses based on her genuine interest and the desire to embrace academic challenges. For her, the exams represented an opportunity for personal growth and expanding her horizons.


Isha, also a Grade 12 student, embarked on an ambitious path, tackling an impressive eleven AP courses over two years. Her motivation stemmed from the desire for a rigorous curriculum and the chance to connect knowledge across different subjects. Isha's AP exam journey taught her the value of effective planning, time-blocking, and utilizing resources like Barron's or Princeton Review books for comprehensive content review.


Although Alice and Isha may have had slightly different approaches on their AP journeys, their stories converge on a shared understanding of the importance of passion, self-awareness, and effective preparation. Both emphasized the significance of selecting courses aligned with their interests and aspirations, rather than succumbing to external pressures. They caution against comparing oneself to others and recognize that success in AP exams isn't solely determined by the number of courses undertaken, but rather by a genuine curiosity and dedication to the subject matter.


So, what can we learn from these two stellar students? Well, besides the occasional hair-pulling and caffeine-induced study sessions that APs can cause, there are some valuable takeaways that might just save your academic sanity! As we reflect on the process, Alice and Isha, and even this author, concur that “time felt really scarce”. Start your content review during spring break by utilizing AP Classroom for exam-like practice questions and effectively manage your time by incorporating timed study blocks if you have multiple AP exams and a busy schedule. When you catch yourself thinking there's always time to study later, remember: later may turn into never. And let's not forget the ultimate challenge of AP exams —the centering of the elusive AP ID labels on your answer sheets! Your future self will thank you.


3. Easter egg :)


Wanna know what it’s like from the outside looking in? Here are our raw interview notes we took talking to a non-AP student!


Jinoh

  1. As a non-AP person, what’s your view of AP?

    1. “Imagine taking APs”

    2. “L”

  2. What’s your view on AP Students?

    1. Hard workers, very smart, capable people

  3. Any words of encouragement for people in AP right now?

    1. Take a break, don’t study for hours at a time, your bones will be crunchy

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