The months leading up to the first two weeks in May can be very stressful for many high-achieving high school students. Students in classes like statistics, government, biology, calculus, and literature are beginning to review topics in class that they have not seen since the first few weeks of school in August and September. The stress of preparing for an exam that is the culmination of everything they have learned that year is not lost on students who are constantly reviewing class material to ensure their success on these tests. By this point, I am sure you have realized that I am not talking about just any set of tests, but the College Board’s AP exams that are scheduled in May. Advanced Placement (AP) classes are meant to challenge students who want to take a deep-dive into specific subjects and hopefully earn college credit along the way.

     Not to be confused with College Credit Plus (CCP) courses which are accessed through a college like Kent State University or the University of Akron for Ohio high schools, AP courses are taught directly through many high schools. The exams held at the end of the year are similar all across the globe and give students a score of one through five on their understanding of the class. Just like some CCP courses, AP courses are not guaranteed to be accepted by a university to qualify as a course requirement. Some schools will let students test out of certain college course requirements, but they are not obligated to accept the AP credit simply because a student took the class. This is obviously something important to consider when deciding how many AP courses to take in high school and is often the determining factor for many students on whether they should take AP classes at all.

     With deadlines looming, many students start to use outside resources to prepare themselves for the structure of the AP tests themselves. Occasionally, teachers will recommend a practice book online or provide extra source material for students who want to devote more time out of class to AP education. Teachers are also very helpful in preparing these kids for what may be the most stressful test of their life up to this point. A popular choice, especially for AP Chemistry students at Dover High School, is the AP Crash Course book that gives students everything they need to know about what will be on the exam in May without giving unnecessary information. I know that I found this book helpful when I took Chemistry last year, and I’m sure many other students benefit from additional study resources as well.

     There is hope yet for the students of Dover High School as they enter into the 2025 exam season. Avery Contini, a senior currently in AP Statistics and AP Biology, is confident in how this year’s group of AP students at Dover will fare on their exams; “we still have a lot of reviewing to do, but overall, I think we are going to get there.” Earning a high score on an AP exam is not an easy feat, but the tireless work of our educators at Dover make this goal possible for many students. The success of the students is not solely on the teachers, however, all of the students currently in an AP class know that they have to put in the work to get the score they want to see at the end of the year. The amount of effort taking an Advanced Placement course requires is not lost on Dover students and staff. Their effort to prepare for these tests is unparalleled and makes the looming deadlines of AP exams less daunting.