In an effort to prepare for Advanced Placement (AP) exams, students and teachers are using various resources and methods to study, such as study groups and in-class preparation.
This year, the annual exams will take place May 4-15.
Senior Kaitlyn Caldwell feels that utilizing class time can be a big asset in studying for the exams.
“One of the biggest things you can do to prepare for the test is to pay attention and work at it all year, in class,” Caldwell said. “I do all of the work and make sure I understand it every time. I think that is really important.”
According to senior Lydia Perilli, she takes additional notes outside of class to “further cement the information.”
”I will watch videos to give myself a general recap, but before that, I’ll take notes in my own words about the topics,” Perilli said. “This helps me better understand it.”
Students can also access additional resources provided by their teachers to help them when they are studying for the exams on their own time.
“Almost any AP teacher will have a variety of materials available to students. I would start with that, because those are trained professionals who are working directly with you,” AP Chemistry teacher Daniel Deitsch said.
Aside from studying in their own time, students may also choose to utilize group study sessions.
According to AP European History teacher Thomas Moll, students may benefit from group settings, similar to the study group he hosts in Red Zone.
“[The study group] just gets students thinking and comfortable with the format and the types of questions [used by Collegeboard],” Moll said. “I like doing it during RedZone because it is non-graded,
so I think it’s less threatening to try to experiment if you’re not going to get a grade for it. You can throw out your ideas and discuss them among the group.”
Moll said this helps to “flesh out” the types of questions and make it more comfortable for students when they see them on the exam.
“Going to the Red Zone study group helps me because it definitely shows us a lot of examples of what might be on the test,” sophomore Kate Repsher said. “It helps me figure out what I need to go over.”
According to Deitsch, while it is important to be studying continually, April is really the month to make it count.
“There is one month left. This is the month that matters most,” Deitsch said. “The students take everything they’ve learned, all the content that has been covered, and then they teach each other. Last year, AP Chem kids said that’s where a lot of things clicked.”
Moll feels that planning out your studying is necessary for the exam.
“You cannot cram for it because it’s just way too much information. This would go for any AP exam, not just what I teach,” Moll said.
According to Deitsch, as the exams approach, the need to study increases exponentially.
“The closer [students] get to May, the more important every day is for them to study,” Deitsch said.