With summer quickly approaching, each day counted down marks one less day to study for the looming Advanced Placement exams.
And with only two short weeks remaining before the exams, some have yet to crack open a review book.
“I haven’t started studying yet,” said senior Will Kane.
Kane is one of the many students who took a twotrimester AP course ending in March, but hasn’t yet begun studying for the May exam.
Attendance has been sparse at review sessions, and at least one teacher is warning students not to take their grades and practice test scores for granted.
“Don’t assume anything,” said A.P. Gov teacher Ben Harwood, who had only one student show up for a recent Saturday morning review session. “One of the biggest mistakes a student can make is thinking that because she or he got an A in the [second trimester] class, they don’t have to study for the exam.”
Despite the low turnout, Harwood said he will not cancel sessions scheduled for Sunday (noon to 1:30 pm), Wednesday (after school) and Saturday, May 2 (noon – 1:30 pm).
“I’ll be there,” Harwood said. “But I can’t force anyone to show up. I wish I could, because I really believe these sessions can help raise scores.”
Because of the eight week gap between class ending and test day, Kane said he’s going to have to prep harder for one of his tests.
“I’ll have to study a lot more for government, which was only two trimesters,” said Kane. “We do so much preparation in class for biology that it doesn’t require as much effort in my spare time.”
Compared to last year’s three tri American History class, junior Matt Gaus said that he has to “start studying earlier,” for the two trimester A.P. Psychology. However, he admitted to doing nothing so far to bridge that gap.
Many students said they would begin studying earlier for their two trimester classes, yet not many could say they had.
Although a few students may use their overconfidence to explain their lack of preparation, the majority simply struggled to find time.
Kyle Hall’s A.P. Western Literature class is not only two trimesters long, but half of her students had first and second trimesters, while the other half has first and third.
Because the exams occur in early May, the third trimester A.P. classes were cut short four weeks of preparation time.
“Second and third terms were completely different,” Hall said. “It made it very difficult to plan. Second trimester had time to read a full novel [in addition to the other coursework] while third trimester only read two plays.”
Hall will get to compare the direct results between the two different class schedules when scores come out in the summer.
Despite the shortened classroom time, “third trimester has the advantage,” Hall said. “They’ll be in the mode of writing weekly, but the second trimester class will go in cold to the exam.”
But even the three trimester classes feel the pressure.
“I like how [A.P. American History] is spread out over three trimesters,” sophomore Kristi Sutherland said, “but we still have stuff to learn, even the three trimester classes are rushed.”
One student hasn’t had time to complain.
Senior Rachel Chao signed up for seven A.P. exams.
“I’m not studying more for my two trimester A.P.’s because they are going to be the easiest tests,” Chao said. “The classes that I’m in now are preparing me, but I use the College Board website and past A.P. tests too.”
Her list of exams includes A.P.Physics, U.S. Government and Politics, Chemistry, Calculus BC, Western Literature, and Chinese.
The one that she will study for the most? “Physics,” Chao said.
