“Let’s get these brain cows milked!” – in the words of Heimler, Youtube’s unofficial AP history coach and motivator, whom students flocked to for study reviews for the past two weeks.
With AP exams officially underway at Nanuet High School, students are facing the ultimate challenge after months of preparation. Since the beginning of the year up until Monday, May 5th, teachers have been preparing their students with every trick needed to score a flawless five on the test.
Since September, AP students have been steadily working toward the moment where hours of prep, stress, and caffeine-fueled study sessions culminate in a few hours of high stakes testing.
For many, especially sophomores, it’s their first taste of AP experience, and they’re feeling the pressure.
We decided to ask our classmates how they felt about the upcoming exam so they could articulate what nearly all of us are feeling. When we asked sophomore Caylee Sanchez how she felt, all she could say was “stressed.”
For most first-time test takers, the nerves are unavoidable. The score that they receive on the exam dictates how much college credit that they can receive for the course, so there is an immense pressure to perform well. There’s the fear of blanking out, the anxiety of pacing, and the general chaos of trying to memorize a year’s worth of material. Every free minute has become a rapid-fire study session, and conversations in the hallways sound a lot like crash-course lectures. Students hunt for the latest free-response question predictions for the test, and watch hour-long lives on repeat.
“I’m too scared that I’ll blank out,” Sanchez said. “I might get a heart attack if I don’t know the answers to some questions.”
Every experienced AP student feels the heat. Even with weeks of preparation, there’s always a chance that students can do poorly due to excessive nerves.
According to College Board, “nothing helps reduce test anxiety more than preparation.” Preparation looks different for everyone –some review content, some rewatch videos, and others are, well, screaming.
“Oh! I take a deep breath and scream,” sophomore Kwora Chen said when asked what she does to destress before the exam.
“My mental stability is going down,” said Sanchez. “It’s on a decline, but you know, it’s okay.”
Time management is a major concern for many, especially when it comes to studying and taking tests. A study conducted by Magoosh, an educational company, found that around 86% of students in high school procrastinate on assignments. This extends to studying for the AP exam, as many started their review late.
“I don’t manage my time well,” Sanchez admitted. “So I study way too close to the exam date, like the Monday before.”
A sentiment shared by many sophomores is that the time constraints on the exam itself is the biggest stressor. Students are given 55 minutes to answer 55 questions on the AP Euro exam, and most of the questions have extensive stimuli attached to them. Reading multiple paragraphs of information and choosing between ambiguous answer choices.
“I can’t read a document in a minute,” sophomore Dannia Peralta exclaimed when asked about the time pressure she’d be facing during her AP Euro exam.
Despite the chaos, students are also reflecting on their growth. For many, the beginning or the year felt impossible. The majority of students were shocked with how they performed on tests at first and had difficulties adjusting to the AP academic rigor. Now, they’ve adapted.
“It was really bad because I was almost failing,” recalled Peralta. “I’m not used to getting these types of grades. It was hard, but I got used to it.”
Sanchez also faced an adjustment early in the year that has since leveled out, she explained.
“It was really stressful,” she said. “I didn’t sleep in the beginning.”
One topic that sparked debate was the change to digital testing this year. For the first time ever, College Board has decided to implement online AP exams instead of the traditional pen and paper exams. With this comes several new challenges for students, such trouble focusing on screens for a prolonged period of time and possible technological issues. For some, typing is a relief. For others, it’s a nightmare.
“Typing the essays online is worse for me,” said Peralta. “I like writing by hand. I can’t see the words that well when I type. I can’t visualize the essay either.”
Still, many appreciate that writing counts more in the scoring than a traditional exam. A student can perform poorly on the multiple choice but score a five if they do exceptionally well on the free response questions.
As of Friday, some students felt ready. Others… not quite.
“As of now, I feel pretty confident and prepared,” remarked sophomore Gianna Castro. “But the multiple choice is what stresses me out.”
“I feel nervous,” Peralta said, while Milo Pelt confidently affirmed, “I feel great.”
To gain the full perspective on the upcoming Euro exam, we asked Mr. Breyfogle for his thoughts and advice for sophomore students.
When asked about the brand-new online testing format, he stated:
“It really depends on the student because some people like to take the test physically,” he said. “Personally, I think it’s better for writing because your hands won’t cramp—but I don’t really know what it will be like. It’s a new experience for kids like us taking the AP for the first time.”
His advice for all the AP students?
“Control the controllable,” he said. “The AP exam is going to happen, no matter how much you stress. You’ve been preparing. Use what you know, work your way around the answers, and just do your best. You guys are very smart.”
While some are panicking and others are powering through, all AP students have something in common: They’re showing up. Whether it ends in a five, a three, or just the satisfaction of surviving, this year’s AP journey is one they’ll never forget.
Remember not to doubt yourself – your hard work will pay off in the long run. So get a good night’s sleep, eat a hearty breakfast, and go crush that exam.
And as Heimler would say, don’t forget to milk those brain cows!