A whole school year might seem like a long time to prepare for a test, but as the days pass, it suddenly feels much shorter, especially when the test determines college credit for a class. There are only three months left before AP Exams begin, and students who are registered to take an exam have work to do in order to secure their score.

“I am very nervous to take it [AP World Exam], but I am also very excited and am eager to see how I will do,” Julia Jensen, sophomore, said.

Luckily, there are many resources available to study for AP Exams. Many teachers offer help sessions to guide students on how to study. Additionally, there are online resources available. The Crash Course YouTube series by John Green has videos for multiple subjects that can refresh students on specific concepts. Another effective study strategy is to take practice tests. Companies such as Barron’s and The Princeton Review sell books with practice AP Exams.

“I prepared with friends and had an amazing teacher who helped me keep focused on the topic. Afterwards it felt good to have reached both my goal and the end. Even if the topic and subject was fun, it still feel accomplishing to have done it,” Trevor Hastings, junior, said. 

AP Exams are often a nerve-wracking experience, especially for first-time AP test takers.

“Usually we do a big push right before the actual AP Exam, and then the one thing I do is have a barbeque at my house right before the exam so that students can actually relax and be confident and know that they know enough to do well on the exam,” Maureen Miller, AP Chemistry teacher, said.

Teachers at Etowah are preparing their classes for AP Exams by providing resources and activities to help students learn. Getting closer to the date, teachers are offering one-on-one help sessions and are planning to host general review sessions soon. They are also helping students prepare by trying to calm nerves that rise the closer the test date becomes.

 “First semester it’s all new, so it’s okay if it takes us a little bit of time, but we want to make sure that we put ourselves in a good position to finish all the sections. That’s another thing that we really focus on second semester is timing,” Kristy Szpindor, AP World History teacher, said.

AP Exams can be a scary experience, but students who effectively prepare and score high enough will get college credit. If you have done well in the class, taken advantage of resources, and put in extra time to study, you should be adequately prepared to get a high score on the exam.