Sleep. Study. Eat. Repeat.  For many Dublin High students, it seems like this is what the next few weeks will be all about. With the May AP exams slowly approaching, a number students have begun to prepare.  Students are using a variety of different methods to help organize and strategize their preparation.

“I plan to study for AP exams by practicing and rereading notes from throughout the year,” junior Vanessa Ureño says.

This is a great way to review the material covered in class and make sure that a student is well prepared for what will be on the exam. Other methods include review manuals or practice exams and questions available on College Board’s Website.

“I plan on reading over my review manual and focusing on the subjects that I find difficult, like the math portions,” junior Brittany Le says.

Review manuals are probably one of the simplest and most effective ways to study, many of which are written by well-known and high rated companies such as Kaplan, The Princeton Review, and Barron’s. Organized into topics, these manuals contain a good review of the material a student should know on test day. Practice exams and questions also included mimic the layout and timing of a real exam.

Many students, such as Le, focus on areas where they struggle the most, and briefly review the information already well known.  This way students can walk in for the AP exam prepared and confident that they are ready to do well.

But according to Ureño, whichever review method is used, it’s good way to study early on to make sure there is enough time to review the information.

“Start studying with plenty of time so that you don’t cram [a lot] of information all at once,” Ureño says. “This will allow the person to actually understand what they are supposed to learn.”

Whether a student uses class notes, review manuals, or online resources to study for AP exams, time is always a major factor. By starting early on, at least one month in advance, students can have enough time to prepare and hopefully review all the required material.  Time is usually the biggest obstacle for a lot of students, and starting a little too close to exam date can hold anyone back from doing well.

A number of study resources are available for those searching for a way to prepare for AP exams.  As those dates get closer, it’s important to find a good way to study to make sure that you’re ready when it’s time to test.