by Claire Carter | Staff Writer

As May creeps forward, students flock to the local Barnes and Nobles to stock up on review guides and prep books, in hopes of getting a perfect score on their AP test. Whether you’re a first timer or an AP test veteran, we all worry about facing the blank scantron.

“I’m trying to prepare for my AP test by reading everything I need to for class and going to all of the morning review sessions we have for the test. I have a prep book that I’m also studying, so I think I’ll be prepared by May,” sophomore Chris Sahin said.

As a sophomore, Sahin has one AP test this year, and like most sophomores, he doesn’t know what to expect. Sophomores take AP world history with hopes of boosting their rank, but there is much more that goes along with it.

“AP classes are fantastic for your GPA, but if you don’t have a good knowledge of history or aren’t able to keep up with the fast pace, world history will kill you,” Sahin said.

Junior Kelly Walsh, having taken one AP test as a sophomore, accepts the challenge and plans on taking four tests this year. She plans to use prep books and study groups with friends to prepare. And while the workload is heavy, Walsh encourages underclassmen to sign up.

“I’m a little shaky on some stuff, but I recommend these classes for other students because the teachers are awesome and the material makes you be involved and engaged to what you’re learning in class, which is always a good thing because you can’t zone out,” Walsh said.

While most seniors are hitting the snooze button five times and throwing on a pair of sweats to slide into third period, senior Sophie Briones plans to take four challenging AP tests in May. And while some tend to forget about the opportunity available to them here at Johnson, Briones embraces the rigorous reward.

“The main benefit of taking the AP test is getting college credit and not having to pay for the courses when you get to college,” Briones said.