The last month of school is probably the busiest for students. We have AP exams, finals, and possibly the SAT. All of this is leaving students stressed with a lot of tests to study for. You’re probably asking yourself how you’re supposed to manage the workload of it all, and lucky for you, I have answers.

Studying

When it comes to AP, everyone says the same things. Get enough sleep the night before, eat breakfast, and study. We get it. But how are we supposed to study. Were supposed to study for a year’s worth of knowledge in a month or less? The good thing is that teachers recognize that we need help, and they’ll spend time reviewing before the exam. Teachers know what’s best for students when getting ready for the exam, so they’ll decide what to do in class. But how do you study on your own? AP Classroom has topic videos for specific sections you want to review. Additionally, the Advanced Placement YouTube channel has one-hour, live review videos every Monday-Thursday. If your teachers are offering any extra one-on-one sessions before or after school, make sure to attend. AP Lang teacher David Proctor is having extra sessions once or twice a week before and after school. 

Time Management

Students will need to learn to balance their time studying. Students should set aside time to study when they can. Students should prioritize their study material by which is more important. This also goes with AP exams and finals. Teachers are all handling finals differently, so you need to talk to your teacher about what their plan for the end of the year is. If your teacher is having a final, that will impact your grade in the class, and the AP exam won’t. Finals and AP exams should cover similar topics, if not the same topics, so balancing the tests shouldn’t be difficult. 

Burnout

Even though studying is important, it’s important that we don’t burn out. You can do this by making a schedule and sticking to it. This should include making time for things we enjoy and eating, as well as studying. To save time, we should prioritize what we are studying. If you already have a good understanding of a certain topic, don’t spend too much time working on what you know. One way to manage your time is the Pomodoro technique. This is when you work for 25 minutes, and then take a 5 minute break. After 4 cycles, take a longer break.