Fellow teachers and students, AP testing season is upon us.
I think I speak for a majority of students when I say the two weeks of AP testing and the two weeks leading up to them is no fun. Some teachers choose to cram in review with thick packets, while others mimic testing week by making us take practice AP exams over and over again: practicing timed writings, responding to free response questions, and so on. These activities are great and all, but can be overwhelming, especially when they are graded.
A handful of teachers even have students take their final for the class a week or two before the exam. This is one of the most stressful ways to review, especially when we just got finished wrapping up the last unit one week before taking the final.
Some students are reviewing for two AP classes but for others, their seven AP classes are way too many to review for. It is clear why some students just want to break down when teachers choose to wait until the last week to review for exams.
They say sleep is crucial for students to succeed, but I can say that we don’t even know what sleep is during this never-ending season of AP review. It would be a lot easier if school was our only responsibility; however, it is harder when students have sports, jobs, and other extracurricular activities in their schedules as well.
Teachers, please take into consideration the stress we are under when approaching the AP testing weeks. We understand you all are trying to get us to perform our best but I’m sure we can find a balance.
We really do appreciate the teachers who keep the workload pretty minimal going into AP testing as it helps our stress levels immensely. As well, thank you to all the teachers who provide us a treat after the exams! It’s such a fun time to be rewarded after a three-to-four hour exam.
Although we students are feeling the pressure from our parents, teachers, and even ourselves to perform well on these tests, it is important for test takers to keep in mind that these are only two weeks of our lives out of many. The lead up to the exams can get us flustered, but remember that these exams are a very miniscule part of our lives. Try your best to show what you have learned but don’t let yourself think that your scores define your value.
Your teachers appreciate the hard work you have put in throughout the year to get to this point. Now it is your time to shine. Your time starts now.