[Editor’s Column] AP Season is in Full Swing

The phenomenon of the infamous AP season is something most every teenage student has experienced at some point in his or her high school career. It is a commonality of a majority of high school students, and many can agree that the pre-process of studying, preparing, and paying; the peri-process of taking the tedious, multi-part exam; and the post-process of waiting for and sending in scores; is simply dreadful. Unfortunately, it is that very time of the year once again–AP season.

Here’s what the students of Valencia High School have to say:

“This year’s AP season is particularly stressful because it’s my first time taking three AP courses in a single school year. Not to mention, my first two test-dates are back to back,” states junior Hyewon Lee, who will be taking the Environmental Science, United States History, and English Language and Composition AP exams in the upcoming two weeks.

“Knowing that junior year is a crucial year of high school, I hope to do well on my AP exams this year. With already two years of AP-testing experience, I feel like I am decently prepared,” states another junior, YeJin Hwang.

“Even though AP season is undoubtedly a stressful period of time for a lot of us, the fact that I have practice and experience from previous years and the fact that this year is such an important year of high school motivates me to do better and exceed my past achievements,” agrees junior Jane Yu.

The first of AP exams takes place on the morning of Monday, May 7, and continues on until the afternoon of Friday, May 18 of the following week. Leading up to this two-week testing period, many students cut off social media ties and focus solely on their exam preparation. Other, more extreme, cases include those of students who intentionally miss school and stay home to study during the final days before the test, in order to best-prepare for it.

However, a less drastic move is being considered by a lot of students: missing their first few classes before AP exams that are set to take place in the afternoon. For a large mass of students whose AP exams are in the afternoon, skipping their morning classes before the test is not entirely ridiculous, as it allows them to either 1) sleep in to ensure they are well-rested for the exam, or 2) fit in any last-minute reviewing beforehand.

During this testing window, prep academies that otherwise focus on homework-help and SAT/ACT prep are able to reap some benefits, as they can offer tutoring, classes, and workshops for popular AP courses, for which numerous high school students swarm in to maximize their scoring potential.

AP season is rarely a pleasant and stress-free time for high school students, but it is important to note that it will be over soon, and hopefully all the intense studying and preparation pays off for everyone.

 

Angela Kim, Grade 11

Valencia High School