Being in an Advanced Placement (AP) class at Sterling High School gives students the opportunity to challenge themselves academically. Here are some tips on how to stay on track in your first AP course.
The test administrator, known as the College Board, shares many useful resources on their AP Classroom website. One of which is the “AP Daily Videos.” These are videos made by AP course teachers across the nation, putting each lesson in a seven to ten minute video. Senior Patrick Riley, who has taken ten AP courses, finds the AP videos “crucial to the understanding of the material that the class teaches and these materials help substantially on the test.”
Also available on AP Classroom, are the course’s progress checks. A progress check is essentially a practice test for specific skills, units, or topics. Many teachers make progress checks available as a study tool for students facing an upcoming test or quiz.
AP U.S. History instructor Taylor Jackson explains how AP progress checks “allow students to practice the different types of questions and writings for each course before the test day and receive feedback to help improve their studying.”
A popular way for students to be up-to-date with class material is note taking. Some students prefer handwritten notes, while others may prefer a digital approach. Note taking can be done during a class lecture, or afterschool for extra practice.
AP Environmental Science teacher Marissa Record highly recommended AP students take notes because “writing things down forces you to focus and actually understand the material.” Record also tips that “when exam time comes, having solid notes to review is a huge bonus.”
Being on top of homework assignments is a major guideline in enrolling for an AP course. Due to the high rigor, AP students will have numerous assignments a week and there will always be a quiz or test to study for.
Junior Margaret Wittenauer said, “I first go home and make a schedule for myself. It’s easier to get homework done if I take breaks in between assignments. I will also try to review that day’s lesson so I can clearly remember it.” Study and homework schedules are a great way to stay motivated in your AP course.
While AP classes can be very stressful and intimidating, they can only benefit in the long run. Studying and self-discipline is the key to acing the AP exam in May.
