AP tests begin next week, and many sophomores and juniors (myself included) have never taken AP tests before or have minimal experience with them; thus, we are terrified. To help anyone overwhelmed with studying, some of Rosary’s top AP students offered their study tips:
Kit Hayward ‘24, who earned a five on AP Lang last year, explained, “I looked over past in-class writing and went online to AP Classroom, where there are examples of past prompts. I looked at prompts where I wasn’t as strong, and I would write out an outline for the prompt on what specific points I would focus on if I saw a prompt like that. I also practiced the transition between reading and writing, so I could spend more time writing.”
Mia Kennedy ‘24 had a different approach and added, “You can’t really study for AP Lang. You just have to trust that the work you’ve been doing will pay off.” Mia’s method worked; she scored a four.
Melanie Kamel ‘24, a math whiz who aced AP Calc AB and AP Stats last year, advised, “Definitely do practice exams. College Board has practice multiple choice, but other resources are Fiveable or PDFs from other high schools (cram sheets). The practice exams help you see where you need to refresh your memory. Also, you have to LOCK IN. Actually set aside time to study, because you can’t do two things at once; you need to focus all your attention on studying.”
Junior Grace Raskopf, who got a five on AP Euro last year, shared her suggestions for history exams: “I started studying for Euro about a month in advance, and honestly, all I did was binge-watch Heimler’s History. That man is like a parent to me at this point. He’s fathered the Renaissance-loving, Protestant Reformation-knowing guru in me to a degree I previously thought impossible. Trust me: if all you do is put your faith in him and grind out every video in that AP European History playlist of his on YouTube, you will be prepared for the exam. Also, pro tip: don’t waste your money on any of those giant AP exam review books that ‘guarantee a 5.’ The Princeton Review gaslit me into buying their book, and I didn’t open it ONCE. The print in it was so small that I knew I’d immediately cry and get overwhelmed if I tried to read even one page. Just trust Heimler. He knows best.”
Briana Reyes ‘24, who is fluent in Spanish but still studied for last year’s AP Spanish test, explained, “I found that practicing speaking Spanish with my Spanish teacher in class really helped me on the speaking portion of the AP exam. I also worked on writing prompts at home to really improve my writing skills in Spanish and grow my vocabulary before the actual exam.”
Senior Sara Garcia offered some words of encouragement for exam day: “Don’t stress about it the night before or the morning of. Keep your cool, think like a boss, and take that AP test like you’re a professional in that field.”
The upcoming long weekend is a great opportunity to study, so make sure to take advantage of it! Good luck, everyone!
