This is it: the home stretch. With the last day of school (for non-seniors) less than a month away from today, the dream of summer is finally within students’ sights.
Unfortunately, for many students, the black-and-white checkered flag is completely overshadowed by the upcoming AP exams. Many have found themselves caught up in having to study for their exams that will occur in the next few weeks.
Sophomore Luke Ho, unlike many of his peers, decided to start early with his studying process. His first AP course, AP US History (APUSH), has taught him plenty about discipline—discipline that he has brought directly into studying. By starting his review about a month before spring break, he is able to recall information with much more ease.
“I don’t think I’d feel ready with five months of exam review, but I feel much more confident,” Luke said. “There’s just so much information in APUSH that you have to start reviewing [early].”
By starting the practice of healthy study habits with his first AP class, Luke sets himself up for success in future AP exams.
Senior Rebecca Maddox has taken nine AP courses, including APUSH. Throughout her three years of taking advanced classes, she has not only mastered her own review process but also assisted others through the National Honor Society’s (NHS) tutoring program.
“I know people who’ve gone into AP exams very anxious, and I think that it’s important to just study and trust in what you know,” Rebecca said. “I’ve seen a lot of people, freshmen especially, get really anxious with AP World, but it’s never as hard as you think it’s going to be.”
With many students, especially freshmen and sophomores who are taking their first APs, the review process can be quite daunting. Oftentimes, students get wound up in the content, having no idea where to start.
Thankfully, FHC has a wide selection of teachers and tutors who are very capable of helping students study and achieve mastery on their AP exams. Trevor Riley, who teaches APUSH as well as AP Micro and Macro Economics, has been holding thematic reviews and practice exams for the past few weeks. Throughout his years of teaching AP courses, he has found more and more ways to prepare his students for the big day.
“I try to look at different studies and data points we have on how we remember things, how we learn, how we can pull information,” Riley said. “There are different learning theories about building on prior knowledge, and so I use some of that with all my students to try to encourage them to study that way, instead of trying to relearn things all in one shot.”
Even though this is only Riley’s second year of teaching APUSH and other AP courses, he has noticed a significant pattern in the correlation between study habits and exam scores, not with a type of studying, but rather that students have developed a certain way of studying.
“What I have noticed is that students who identify studying styles that work for them are usually more successful,” Riley said. “I haven’t found a pattern where notes are better than videos, but I have found that students who identify what works for them, their scores go up.”
Many students have discovered ways that benefit them most while preparing for the exam. Rebecca, for example, likes to organize history curriculum into a “mind map” of both specific details and broader events. She also likes to review her notes by organizing them on Notion, a website on which she can manage her notes in a pretty and pleasant way.
Luke finds it helpful to watch review videos by YouTubers like Heimler’s History and Adam Norris, as well as using study apps like Gizmo. Most importantly, the practice of taking notes throughout the year is helpful in building up stamina and remembering specifics.
“It’s really important to read and study,” Luke said. “Even if it’s just thirty minutes or an hour a day, consistency, I’ve found, is so much more important than putting hours and hours in one study session.”
By consistently taking notes over the course of the year and reviewing for the exam over the past few months, Luke has spread out the preparation process. This effectively saves him from getting burnt out, keeping him from falling into the trap of the “sophomore slump.”
Another way students can expand their learning and improve their recall abilities is by gathering with a tutor or a group of other students to discuss the curriculum.
“I think it’s definitely beneficial for those of you who are heading into the exam to make a study group and meet up with your friends and review,” Rebecca said. “There’s some stuff that you just need to refresh your memory on, and talking about it with other people really helps.”
With all the anxiety surrounding AP exams, the idea of getting a 5 may seem like the only way to prove one has worked hard in the class. However, this is not the case. Scores of 3 and above are considered mastery, so it’s not necessary to achieve a 5 to prove that they have mastered the class. Additionally, earning a score below a 3 doesn’t mean that a student hasn’t learned anything, but rather that they haven’t quite achieved mastery yet.
Most importantly, it’s vital to remember that no matter what score one receives on the exam, the act of taking such a challenging course is an accomplishment within itself.
“When we focus just on the scores, we lose sight of the fact that all of the work, all of the information you learned all year—that has great value,” Riley said. “What you’ve learned about yourself as a student, the fact that you’ve gotten through [an AP course] also has great value.”
