The stressful long nights of studying, the caffeinated drinks that fill the cups, the colors of the highlighters running on the words of the AP books, these are stressful memories students will experience. AP testing season is approaching once again, leaving kids of all grades preparing for the AP tests with stress and worry invading their minds. There is no need for long nights of studying or a caffeine overload because here are some do’s and don’ts of preparing for an AP test!

 What should you do the night before an AP test?

Most students believe that staying up long nights before an AP test to study is very useful and will help them obtain more knowledge although it said that by relaxing before an AP test is more valuable than analyzing new information. Victoria Platonova, a current AP student and former test taker noted, “you shouldn’t study the night before. Just relax, do some homework, watch a movie and go to bed early.” You want to have as much energy as possible for the test and stressing out the night before will do you no right.

How do you study for an AP test?

Many students become overwhelmed with the idea that they have so much to study in such a limited amount of time. They begin to try to research everything at once, often forgetting what they have just read. Natalie Kayanirad said, “the most beneficial way that she was able to study was by taking practice tests and watching review videos.” There are many different methods that students use to study. You can watch review videos as well as practicing different problems. People also tend to find “mock APs” useful to study because it gives them a sense of what their test would be as.

      During the AP test, what are some strategies that can help you?

Often, while taking the Ap test, students get hooked on and stressed on one problem that they do not understand, which leads them to become worried and focused on that one problem, wasting their time. There are many strategies that students can do to ease their way through the test. Victoria Platonova said,”that during her test taking she kept track of time, which proved to be helpful when you answer FRQ’s or write essays. I also made sure to lift my head once to stretch and de-stress that way.” It can be tiresome to stay in a chair for hours while writing and reading.  Take a breath and close your eyes for a minute. Stay calm and collective.

    Overall, any advice for AP students who will be taking the test?

Jacob Amezquita said, “just review everything you learned after a class and do all of your assignments, which will help secure knowledge and help you get a better score on the test.” Taking an AP test will give you a learning experience for the tests you take in the future, and it will help you develop methods that can help you will all of your criteria in general.