AP train prepares to pull into testing station in two weeks
For many students, spring is a time of hope and renewal as everyone begins to wind down on academic pressures and stress points. On the other hand, students enrolled in AP classes dread these next few weeks as the endless hours of studying finally culminate in high stakes tests for college credit. While their course grades will be available and on the transcript by May 27, scores ranging from 1-5 will descend from College Board heaven in early July.
AP US History teacher Andrew Britton has assignments for his students to complete right up to Friday, May 6th.
"The review requirement is 600 minutes for my students, which is ten hours,” Britton said. “They got the requirements in the middle of March and it is due in three separate submissions to make sure that students don't do all of the requirements the night before it's due. The students also get two months to get all of the study requirements done".
Britton has also arranged review sessions a couple times every week to help students get their preparation requirements finished and submitted on time. These study sessions include Britton reviewing major topics and events that are taught throughout the school year for students to take notes on. The review is broken down into 24 sections, with each section consisting of around 10 to 20 events and topics.
These students are additionally provided with the option to check out a practice textbook for the test, where they can further enhance test taking skills. In the textbook, practice document related questions are included, along with several multiple choice questions and writing prompts.
Unlike APUSH, AP Literature necessitates less review due to its content.
"Instead of spending hours of review reinforcing facts and figures, we can focus on skills and voice in writing, which are far more enjoyable,” AP Lit teacher Trent Scott said. “So, in many ways, the entirety of the year and its writings, both in and out of the classrooms, act as exactly the sort of test prep students need to dominate and get those college credits. We do some practice essays in the weeks leading up to the test just to refine academic muscle memory, but the majority of their prep stems directly from class discussion and personal engagement with the process of critical analysis".
Students from these classes have been taking different strategies to review. AP Stats senior student Christopher Baerwald is relying on classwork.
“I’m just doing the stuff in class and the homework Curtis gives us. That’s all,” he said.
On the other hand, senior Madelynn Fuller will take extra steps to review and prepare herself.
“I’m going to study the extra worksheets I am getting from my teacher and the extra packet along with the videos he shares with us,” she said.
Like Fuller, senior Sydney Butz is preparing by studying a lot.
“I’m studying vocab, reviewing my notes, refreshing my memory with character names and main literary themes, and also studying poetry vocab,” she said.
Senior Meredith Weston plans on reading and verbally saying terms aloud to memorize.
“I’m reviewing the books I read throughout the year, using AP vocab in my daily life, and spending my time pondering Heart of Darkness,” she said.
For his prep, sophomore Marcus Miller is relying on videos to study for his APUSH exam.
“I’m watching all the US history crash course episodes,” he said.
Senior Annika Nesterick prepares for her AP Government test as well.
“To prepare for the AP tests I am showing up for class, doing the required homework, and hoping for the best.”
By Sydney Maki
Oshkosh West Index Volume 118 Issue 7
April 25th, 2022