Last week was a whirlwind of papers, books, and hours on my computer. Every day was either the day of or the day before an exam, and school doesn’t end for another month! I’m of course talking about the infamous AP week. If you don’t know, highschoolers across America take an array of 3 hour exams throughout the first 2 weeks of May to try and earn college credit for the courses they’ve taken. I’ve learned a lot the past week from taking 3 AP exams (and still have one more the day this comes out), so I figured I would share what I’ve learned with all of you.
- Don’t try to see the end before you’ve even started.
This is the main lesson from my AP Biology exam. During the exam, I got so caught up in what score I thought I got and how much time I had left that I didn’t truly focus on the exam. So, whenever you’re doing anything, try to focus on the task at hand and don’t get caught up in trying to guess the result. It’s so tempting to try and make yourself feel better by making predictions, but that fleeting moment of security is just going to be followed by another wave of anxiety, so just try to force your mind to focus. I know that’s easier said than done, but I tried it on my other exams and it certainly helps.
- Camaraderie is key
This is the main lesson from my AP Literature exam. Only a couple people took this class, so we all knew a lot about each-other by the time the exam came around. Knowing and being comfortable with the people around me helped me stay calm and focused during the exam. This shows why camaraderie is so important because being close with others allows us to function better.
- You know more than you think you do
During my AP United States History (or APUSH for short) exam I felt like I was wandering aimlessly in a forest. Answers kept coming to me but I had no clue if they were right. That is, until I saw people going through the answers online and all of mine were correct (they release some of the questions 48 hours after the exam). So, the lesson from this is to trust yourself and remember that you’re capable of more than you think you are. I don’t always do this, so one way I’m personally trying to improve is remembering to take deep breaths and remind myself that I can do it.
Now, I would include a lesson from my AP Psychology exam, but I haven’t taken it yet. So, wish me luck on it on Tuesday (the day this comes out). However, I have learned a lot from this class. My favorite thing I’ve learned is that positivity is key. Throughout this class we’ve discussed optimism, mindsets, and so much more that all leads back to the idea that positivity is powerful. So, the next time you feel like your world is ending, remember to try and reframe your thought process to be more positive.
Note from Ella’s mother (a therapist): Notice that sometimes our children need to learn lessons from someone else for it to sink in. I think the positivity, reframing, and mindset discussions in her AP psych class got through more to Ella than from me.
Three exams down and one to go. Here I go!
Until Next Time,
Ella Greene
