Not but one hour ago did I just finish taking my final AP exam, and with all AP-related worries finally cleared, I feel the happiest I've been in months. I couldn't admit it during the middle of the school year, but I felt endlessly swamped with responsibilities to the point where I wanted to wish all of it away.

But now that nine months of pure AP boot camp are over, I can see the sun after being underwater. Did I actually think that being in five AP classes at the same time was going to be easy? Sure, during first semester, maybe. But after that... not so much.

January began right where December had ended, so there were a lot of exams happening at once. I thought that this was happening just because the year was starting, and there was a lot to go over before things settled down. Unfortunately, I was well into February before I realized that the parade of assignments wasn't wavering in strength anytime soon.

That's when I began to get stressed, and when I start stressing, I can't stop until every last assignment is taken care of. And, much to my luck, the assignments were going to keep coming until the last day of school.

So I'm not done with junior year just yet (at the time I'm writing this article), but I guess I can say that junior year is technically over. I don't feel like there are a million jobs waiting for me every time I come home, and I don't have to stay up late anymore studying at the last minute. Life is going to start calming down for the next two months, and I guess it's become foreign to me how to be unfazed by the world.

Tonight, I'm planning on going to our school's Science Night, and there won't be a single thought in my mind about work beckoning me home before I can enjoy myself. I've taken five AP courses, and I think it's time to reward myself for all my hard work. I've done a lot more than I usually give myself credit for, but looking back on it, I have much reason to be proud of myself.

I feel free, even if the sound of that word is cliche or overused. "Freedom" seems to properly capture the feeling of being untethered and unchained, and in the last few days of school coming up, I have no reason to be concerned about how much sleep I'll be getting that night.

Next week is the last week of school, so finals are happening. But I can go back to being the Shreya that wasn't held down by countless standards that an AP student is held to because exams are over. I can just take my remaining finals, go home and be glad that I've succeeded another year as a high school student.

And to those wondering if it's worth taking five AP exams, maybe it won't seem like it when you're knee-deep in papers, but it is. Not that you should take five APs without a second thought, but just don't immediately assume that the end won't be rewarding.