Williston students, along with students all over the world are stressing over AP exams.
Seniors, juniors, and even sophomores are scrambling to study and prepare for their AP tests. To receive a good score on a college level test means that one can get college credit. AP classes range from African American Studies to Psychology. All AP exams take place at Williston in the gym or the library.
AP Exams are standardized exams made to measure how well one has done in a college level class. Most AP courses are taken are year long and the exam is at the end of the year in May. All of the exams are scored and created by AP teachers along with college professors. The best score that you can receive is a 5, which everyone strives for, and the lowest a 1. The tests are long; normally taking more than two hours and some take up to five. AP tests are administered by the College Board. Currently, there are 36 AP tests available. Testing this year began on May 5th and ends May 16th.
Francesca Gionfriddo, a two-year junior from Connecticut, has many different AP exams to take this year, including AP Chemistry, AP Calculus AB, AP Language, and AP Spanish. Although she’s nervous, she feels ready.
“I am semi stressed in regards to the exams I am taking. I feel that my teachers have prepared me very well and now it is an opportunity for me to showcase my hard work throughout the year,” she said.
Francesca said her way of studying for an AP exam is different compared to a regular test or quiz.
“I find studying exams to be different than studying for an exam, a test, or a quiz in one of your current classes because it’s cumulative and its definitely more surface level than what your used to in a regular class,” she said. “For example, in Spanish my quizzes and tests are only on one certain subject, and there really in depth whereas on the exam there wont be specific grammar questions, but I will need to use that grammar in many different ways.
Francesca has put in a lot of time to studying for her AP exams.
“I would say I’ve spent maybe the whole year studying for these exams, or I’ve put in small increments of work along the way. Over the past few weeks its been doing practice exams and getting used to the way the exam works and what I need to do to be successful,” she said.
Margaret Edwards, a six-year senior from Whately, Mass., is taking AP Bio, AP Psych, AP Calculus, and AP Comparative Government.
Margaret has mixed feelings about her AP exams.
I’m kind of stressed for my exams. I want to do well and do the best I can but on the other hand I’m already in college and my college doesn’t even accept the scores as credits so it doesn’t really matter at all how I do on these,” she said.
Margaret has spent most of her studying on time in class with her teachers.
“I’ve spent most of my reviewing in my classes over the past couple of weeks. However on my own I haven’t really studied at all other than some review videos on occasion,” she said.
Hayden Hutner, a junior boarder from Wesley Chapel, Fla.,, just recently took his AP Calculus and AP US History exams. He feels good about how they went.
“I felt like both of my exams went pretty well and I was confident going into them because I felt like I knew what I had to know,” he said. “I prepared a little for my AP Calc exam and I only studied a few nights for my APUSH exam.”
Tyla Taylor, AP Psychology teacher , has prepared her students through many classes of practice but has fought the case of dealing with senioritis with only one week left until graduation.
“By doing various reviewing as well as practice questions. Practice Multiple choice and Free response questions,” she said. “I feel like they are prepared for the AP tests however the biggest thing I am fighting right now is senioritis. Especially with AP Psych being the final exam on the final day in the afternoon. So really we prepare for the exam all year, however, it’s definitely harder to keep my students focused when its so nice out and there about to graduate.”
