As a one-time (soon to be three-time) AP Exam veteran, I recall vividly the panic and sense of helplessness that almost every exam-taker goes through at one point or another. Thankfully though, with the support of my friends, teachers, and parents I managed to get through the first exam and am nowhere near as panicked as I normally would be for the next two. I hope to share some of the tips that I learned from my freshman year with you so that you can excel with as few tears shed as possible.

1. Start Early

Exam prep takes a lot of time, and you're not going to get it all done before the exam rolls around if you start a week before. Give yourself a chance to succeed and start a month in advance, studying a bit every night.

2. Get a Prep Book

My prep books were and continue to be essential to my success. They condense all of the info that I need into one digestible textbook, and they present it in a way that's easy to understand. Plus, sometimes they come with practice exams, which are always helpful. (P.S. I recommend Barron's.)

3. Reread Your Old Notes

If you can't afford a prep book, then I highly suggest going over your notes again (assuming you took some.) Your notes are meant to be used, and even if they aren't incredibly in-depth, something is better than nothing.

4. Please, For the Love of All That's Good and Holy, Put Your Phone Away

This is probably the best piece of advice I could give you. Your phone will do nothing but distract you when you really need to focus. Trust me, as the reigning monarch of Procastinationville, you can't afford to be checking Instagram when you have exams to study for. Your posts will still be there after you're done.

5. Take A Deep Breath, and Don't Overthink It

Last year, I got an FRQ on the exam that I knew absolutely nothing about. I had never even heard of it. Thankfully though, I took a deep breath, reminded myself that I'd be alright, and improvised (building off of the things that I actually had learned.) I ended up doing really well! No matter what happens, you'll be alright in the end. Life has a funny way of working itself out.