May officially marks the beginning of the bustling AP season. With a wide array of AP exams to study for, Townsend Harris High School students discussed the AP exams they are taking and how they are preparing for these exams.
For many sophomores, the AP World History exam is the first AP they are taking since entering THHS. Sophomore Tahsina Anjum shares her concerns about the exam, she said, “I don’t really feel prepared for it [which worries me]. I am mostly using AP central resources as well as my Princeton review book.”
Similarly, sophomore Jade Deen is preparing for her exam by using online study guides and practice questions through a website called Fiveable. The website offers various study guides and reviews for the AP World exam and has resources for other AP classes as well.
In addition to the AP World exam, sophomore Shayera Mourin is taking AP Physics 1, which she is preparing for by “reviewing YouTube videos on specific topics that [she] is struggling with and [has] also been doing practice problems in review books and AP classroom.” She said that although she doesn’t feel prepared yet, she hopes to be prepared by the time the tests come around.
Sophomore Ananna Ali is taking AP Comp Sci Principles in addition to the AP World Exam. She is preparing for it by using an app called Getknowt while also reviewing study guides and notes from class. She offered advice and said, “For AP World History, I find it best to [use] flashcards, Quizlet, and writing/typing to help you memorize better. For AP Comp Sci Principles, I’m practicing by taking past AP tests.”
Junior Lamiah Tasnim is studying using similar methods for her AP exams. She said, “For the AP Pre Calc exam, I am mostly taking practice tests and going over my old notes. For APUSH, I am trying to review all the units and the important dates, and for AP Spanish Lit, AP English Lit, and AP Bio, I am mostly reviewing my notes.” For underclassmen taking the AP World History exam, she advises them to start studying early for the AP World exam and not to procrastinate.
Sophomore Mariam Ahmed, who is only taking the AP World exam, also said, “Don’t procrastinate till the last minute and make use of free tools online.”
Multiple students suggest giving themselves time to study and prepare themselves as they don’t want to be surprised with unreviewed content once they sit for the exam. Junior Kyle Zheng, who is currently taking AP English Literature, AP Physics, AP Pre-Calculus, and AP United States History, said, “Do as much as you can so you are not surprised by a certain question or topic on test day.”
Senior Veronica Lam said, “Start studying early [since] studying is a little different for everyone; it ultimately depends on you, but if you ever need to look for something, you can always [find resources to help you].”
Likewise, Junior Angela Yang said, “Starting to study early helps destress a bit. It also helps to plan which tests you are going to study for [depending on] when the tests are.” Angela is taking 4 AP tests this year: AP Pre-Calc, AP Chemistry, AP English Literature, and APUSH. She shared that she has “been relying on YouTube a lot.” She elaborated and said, “For AP English Literature, I’ve been using it to teach myself how to analyze poems better…for other subjects such as APUSH, I make sure to do an overview of the course and topics and then do a lot of practice problems that mock the actual exam.”
Others shared utilizing similar strategies to study for their exams. Junior Zaedoen Gyephel and Daisy Zheng are also watching videos and doing practice questions from previous AP exams to prepare for their exams. Daisy said, “I highly recommend watching videos on YouTube for APUSH and AP Biology because they are more concise and easier to understand than textbooks.” She felt that the most helpful method for her was “looking back to different topics and explaining them to myself to ensure that I fully understood the information.”
In addition to watching videos, Junior Uttam Nath also suggests studying for AP Biology by looking at the resources provided in AP classroom.
Junior Sean Choi shared his method for studying for the AP World History exam and suggested “watching Heimler [videos] and paying attention in class.” Senior Judy Liang said, “[I took] notes from Heimler videos for the AP World exam, and for AP Psychology, I [found it helpful] to pay attention in class and review the textbook.”
