There’s a time of year that brings students all over the globe together into one, unified front of exhausted, angry children: AP exams. No one is safe– you like English? Boom, AP Lang. Math? Boom, AP Calc. You art kids think you’re safe? Boom, AP Art. No subject is safe from the College Board’s clutches, and if you like rigor, you’re on the precipice of exam week just like me. I’ve had three years of AP classes with mixed results, and I think that after all this time, I’ve got some wisdom under my belt. If you’re stressing, let me put you at ease with some pearls of advice as we approach May 1st, the AP equinox.

1. Hit the vocab hard.
It doesn’t matter what subject you’re in, AP classes always have some kind of vocabulary that, as the year passes, you start to believe is practically common sense and is fully within your grasp at the drop of a hat. I’m here to tell you that it’s not. You may think you know these things, but when you see the word on the page for the first time since August, you’ll rue the day you forsook Quizlet.

2. Draw out your own visual of the information: timelines, pyramids, flowcharts, etc.
I have always found this method especially helpful in AP history classes, though it has served me well in some of my other courses. I purchased a small dry-erase board and some markers and went to town writing out as much content as I could remember, whether it was graphics, key terms, or definitions. Once you can visualize the information and pull it from your brain on command when you need to, you’re set for the exam.

3. Sleep as much as you can before the exam and make sure you eat enough before.
This always seems obvious and maybe even something that you’re not considering in order to cram, but trust me, you DO NOT want to be tired during a multiple hour exam. It. Is. Terrible. When your mind is clear and you can think things through, I guarantee you that the test will go better than you expect.

4. Bring a snack.
Maybe this is just a me problem, but I forget to bring a snack every single test for every single year. Each time, I regret it, because I stand outside of the LEC with my fellow students and watch them eat and my tummy rumbles and I spend the next hour or two trying to ignore how hungry I am. Don’t be like me.

5. Try to find time to talk out the content with some classmates.
This is an excellent technique for making sure you have a clear understanding of the conceptual side of AP content. By helping others talk their way through the content or receiving help in answering any remaining questions, the entire group will be better at clearly explaining their ideas when it comes to writing on any exam.

6. Try not to panic and definitely don’t cram. Try to space it out.
Freaking yourself out beforehand is useless and a waste of time. Stay calm and don’t overwhelm yourself if you can by spacing out content during studying. For example, spend one or two hours just on vocab, then on content review, then on practice questions, and so on. You will be okay!

7. Try your best.
AP exams are meant to be difficult, so if you’re struggling, don’t feel bad! Try your hardest to get the best grade you can, and as long as you give it your best shot, you made use of a busy school year.

Good luck Royals and take care of yourselves!