You might have finished your end-of-the-year high school exams, or maybe you find yourself in the middle of AP week, or perhaps you've simply given up on the practice of studying all together. Everyone handles this stressful time of year differently and some methods of coping proving to be more effective than others. So that leads to the all important question: which group of AP testers do you belong to?
1. The Ignorants
They say that ignorance is bliss, and for those of us belonging to other AP tester types, we often wish we could swap places with this group. The Ignorants are students who spent the school year sleeping and snoring through the majority of class lectures and important assignments. No one really thinks that at this point any of the Ignorants have a snowball’s chance of passing the AP test, but it will seem like every year someone in this group will receive a 5 through a miracle of god while you scoot by on your score of 3.
2. The Procrastinators
The most common type of AP test taker. Sure, they got all their assignments in on time through the course of the year, but at what cost? These students have sacrificed going to many social gatherings and raging parties to complete essays and worksheets at the last minute. On the big day of the AP test, these students are the most likely to fail as they were unable to realize you can’t fit nine months of refresher studies into a one-day session. These are the students you’ll see nervously sharpening pencils repeatedly, eyes glued to study guides up until the last possible second.
3. The All-Nighters
These students are the night hours and forced night owls of the 10th grade and above. These students may have been procrastinators in a past life, but have developed a whole new way of thinking. Instead of giving up family time and a social life, these upperclassmen choose to sacrifice one of the only things physically necessary for human life: sleep. You’ll see these teens on test day chugging a Venti Starbucks coffee only seconds before the time begins, dark blue circles cradling their eyes. These students can score in the range of a 3 and above, but at what cost?
4. The 5-Star Students
These teens are the legends and heroes of our generation. Despite the growing number of sports practices, music rehearsals, and AP classes they took on during the school year, these students never faltered in their determination for that perfect 5--multiple perfect 5’s. They completed all their assignments on time, scored the winning touchdown at football games, and started studying for AP tests weeks in advance only to show up to school on the day of the test bright-eyed with a big smile on their faces. We all know a 5-Star student, and truly wonder how in the world they find enough time in the day to get 8 hours of sleep.
5. The Accepters
They're bravest and most humble peers you will ever meet. Maybe these teens started the year strong with high-scoring tests and assignments, but saw a gradual decline as the months came and went. Whether or not this decline was the result of laziness or the incurable disease known as “Senioritis,” these students know they have no chance of pulling out a passing score, so choose to catch a couple extra hours of sleep at night instead of cramming all the information in 24 hours before the big test. They might not pass, but they won’t have nightmares about scoring below a 3.
Whether you can pull a 5 out of thin air despite minimal studying or find yourself struggling to pass even afters hours of hitting the books, soon the pain and stress will come to an end. Make sure after you complete those AP tests and final exams that you take the time to treat yourself to a long and relaxing summer break, without wasting away the warm temperatures sitting by the computer waiting for those scores to come in.
