As the end of the school year quickly approaches, AP testing seems to be right around the corner. It seems like just yesterday school was starting and May felt so far away. AP testing always seems to creep up on students every year. It feels like one minute you’re learning something new, and the next you’re drowning in full-year review packets. It doesn’t matter if you are taking one AP test or six, because everyone I’ve talked to this week has been stressing over their AP courses. This week AP teachers are preparing students with myriad review information and seemingly endless study guides. Many teachers even give out “big cumulative tests” this week to even further prepare their students. For students who are enrolled in many AP classes, this week has most definitely felt like the weekend before finals- a week filled with copious amounts of time spent studying, stressing, and drinking lots of caffeine. With AP testing only a few days away, AP students are seriously feeling the pressure.

Even after an entire school year of preparation, students may not feel remotely ready for the stress that comes along with AP week. The name “AP” can sure strike fear and induce stress in students, but it is important to think of it like any other test. After an entire year of your teachers preparing, you should be ready. Don’t let the title “AP” intimidate you.

Going into a test completely blind is never a good idea unless you don’t care about the grade you receive. Going into an AP test completely blind is also something I do not recommend, so taking advantage of any last-minute practice will definitely be advantageous. Go over your notes, attend review sessions, and go to practice tests. This will help get rid of some of the pre-testing anxiety and guarantee that you won’t show up knowing nothing.

Having been through this a few times in previous years, my biggest take away from AP week is that your teachers most definitely have prepared you. I cannot speak for all classes, but in the classes I’ve taken in class assessments, assignments, tests, and quizzes are much harder than the actual AP test. The AP tests attempt to examine your overall knowledge of the course material while your teachers most likely have given their students harder tests and more in-depth material to prepare you. This is not to say you shouldn’t study for the AP tests because they really do matter whether it is sending your scores to colleges to strengthen your application or to receive college credit when you decided on a college, AP tests are important.

With keeping in mind this importance, if you prepare well, you will do well. It’s not the end of the world if things don’t go your way. So, in the face of the stress ahead, keep your head up and be confident in all the things you have learned this year.