By Emma Berkel
May is just around the corner, and for Advanced Placement (AP) students, so are exams.
A year spent under the pressure of a college level course all boils down to a single test that will decide whether or not the student obtains college credit in the field. For some, it’s a chance to save money; for others, it’s a chance to prepare for college, but for all, it’s a chance to get ahead.
There are currently over thirty AP courses offered nationwide, and each is a rigorous commitment. But the intimidation of such a reputation isn’t keeping students away. According to the College Board’s AP Report to the Nation, more students than ever are tackling the challenge and it’s easy to see why.
Statistics say that AP students are much more likely to graduate from college within four years, and that those who take the time to study for the end-of-the-year exam are better equipped to retain information in future classes. At the same time, students that score a three or higher are shown to typically experience a more successful college career, complete with a higher graduation rate, than a student that has not taken an AP course.
Even those students that do not score high enough to obtain college credit have only pushed forward. Undertaking an AP course and exam shows academic ambition and dedication, both of which are traits that colleges across the country desire in potential students.
What’s more, by doing well enough on an exam, a student can bypass entrance level college courses and become that much more likely to study abroad or double major, making it an endeavor well worth undertaking.
In order to help prepare this year’s students, AP World History is offering review sessions every Saturday from April 17th to May 8th in the Little Theater, similar to AP Chemistry which is also offering weekend review sessions and a chance to come in after school until five. Meanwhile, AP Calculus students have been given not only a multitude of review packets, but also a practice test.
These are just a few examples of all that LHS’s AP teachers are doing to support their students, and in turn, AP students themselves are encouraged to take advantage of such opportunities as well as anything else that will help them succeed.
