Do you challenge yourself by taking AP classes? Doesn’t the thought of the exams being right around the corner scare you a bit? For some it can be nerve racking, especially because you aren’t receiving that full in-person moment with your teachers.  However, you do have to know it’s self responsibility at this point. Teachers are doing everything they can to provide the proper material needed and now it’s on you to utilize the independent time for studying. Of course  you are not expected to sit in the books every bit of off time that you have, but it all comes down to time management. Maybe instead of going out on Saturday and Sunday, Sunday could be set to be the review day.

Pre-recordings

One of the great ways to review for a challenging exam is to watch videos. Youtube and Kami are awesome websites to utilize when reviewing. Maybe hearing different explanations will help you comprehend the material better and even suggest the diverse ways you can go about answering the questions. Research shows that videos help boost student engagement, which then helps  achievement in the curriculum.  Throughout the video, students can pause and write down the examples the tutors provide. Although some people may teach faster than others, kids are able to always go back to certain parts of the video if it was unclear. Not everyone likes to sit in textbooks, reading paragraph after paragraph, so the visual representations might be a good alternative.

Preparatory Exams

Alongside videos, there’s an option of looking back at prior tests. For instance, if students are taking the AP Physics course, they can search up 2011 AP Physics 1/2 Exam and the multiple choice as well as the written response will come up. These tests have the answer keys attached to them so it’s a great way to go back and test yourself on how you stand for the upcoming tests. Sometimes, even searching through the most recent years like 2018-19 can help you see more of what types of questions or the format layout.

Gaming

Are you interested in designing your own quick game? There are cool websites online where quizzes could be made, puzzles, flashcards, and all other sorts of ideas. It’s a different studying approach, but it could definitely be an effective way to try and get some of the material back into your head. Reading over notes could get irritating over time; however, the games could help students take advantage of the statistics to improve on whichever area they need. Learning through different types of styles might even be more motivating because you want to see that “perfect score.”

Territory

Is there any area you love to visit or spend time in? A good way to study would also be being in that environment. Whether it’s a park bench, sitting on a blanket by the water, or even watching the sunset from your car, it is relaxing yet motivating with the beautiful surroundings. If the outdoors don’t work too well with birds chirping or kids playing, there are options such as a coffee shop or even a public library. Over the course of the past year, students have become accustomed to either doing school from their bed or the dining room table, so the change of scenery might boost the process of reviewing. 

Even though studying may be “boring” and a “waste of time” according to some, these options could be great substitutions to just plain studying. However, students are still in control of their success. This school year has been unprecedented, but AP courses are not really an exception. These classes are structured with higher standards, so whether it’s a normal school year or not, the proper thing to do would be to study ahead of time. Cramming multiple units all at once could be very stressful and overwhelming. Hopefully utilizing personal preferences wouldn’t be a bad way to succeed on a complex exam! With that being said, good luck!

“Never regard studying as a duty, but as the enviable opportunity to learn” Albert Einstein.

Related Stories

Study Tips