As excitement builds for the new semester, so does the anticipation for AP testing in May. Students enrolled in multiple AP classes have expressed their experiences with managing their regular coursework while preparing for the AP exam.

Connor Nelson, a Senior at Wilsonville, is taking two AP classes this year, both AP Environmental Science and AP Literature. Nelson discusses his enthusiasm for AP Environmental Science, detailing, “I enjoy it because it’s a deep-dive into the environment, talking about the industrialization in agriculture and longevity of species.”

Nelson, who plans to take both AP exams in the spring, highlights the benefits, stating, “I’m taking both of these tests for many reasons, but it mainly gives me college credit and it can save me money; college is very expensive. The second reason I’m taking them is because I think it’ll just help me memorize what I learned more effectively.”

In addition to this, Nelson advises himself and other students to prepare for the tests by asking clarifying questions in class and using AP Classroom as a resource to better grasp the material.

Fellow Senior, Axxel Zaragoza, shares his classes this year and the concepts he’s learned, mentioning, “I’m taking AP Macroeconomics, which I’ve discovered focuses more on personalized economics such as firms and how they operate versus Microeconomics which focuses on global [economics]. I’m also taking AP Literature which is a more advanced English high school class.”

Zaragoza begins to detail his plan for testing, expressing, “I don’t see much harm in taking the tests. For AP Literature, I feel it’s going to be quite easy because the subject comes easy to me, and for Econ, I’m sure I’ll struggle, but as long as I keep up with the curricular activities I’ll do satisfactorily.”

Similar to Nelson, Zaragoza recognizes the benefits of taking these AP tests, as it can save you money later on by providing college credit now.

It has become evident that the upcoming AP testing has remained a topic in students’ minds. However, upperclassmen like Connor Nelson and Axxel Zaragoza helped to shed light on their classes, the benefits of taking the test, and how they are currently preparing for the next few months.