By Brandon Nguyen
In a span of two weeks in May, students take their Advanced Placement (AP) tests that determine if they get college credit. Passing this test is the end goal of every AP class and its benefits are obvious. Students can skip college classes, save money and even receive scholarships.
However, during these important two weeks, some teachers still assign homework that burdens students when they need to be studying. While AP teachers may feel assigning homework will help prepare students for AP exams, homework should be canceled during AP week to support students’ time management and their personal study preferences.
School is every student’s priority and teachers can support student’s time management. Students need every minute they can get to study for AP exams. The courses are dense with subjects and it’s difficult to recall information from months ago. In fact, the Princeton Review, a prominent college admissions service company, recommends students start reviewing one to three months before their AP exams.
Giving additional homework during AP week only overburdens students who need to allocate that time towards reviewing. Students require time to review content, take practice tests and get proper rest.
Taking time away from students will force them to overcompensate by studying for their AP tests combined with homework. This means students will be forced to stay up later, losing sleep which makes them more prone to anxiety and harder to focus.
AP classes are designed as collegiate level classes that require a lot from students. Oftentimes, students are juggling multiple AP classes or combining them with honors that are already challenging.
“Giving students homework would not be ideal considering that AP exams themselves have a significant mental toll on students,” junior Eric Tran said. “Homework on top of AP exams as well as the studying that students may do during AP exams is excessive.
Giving students the ability to focus their full attention on their AP tests is important to preventing burnout and would allow them to score better. Students often prioritize their grades over studying for their AP exams, which means homework assignments that have to be turned in only add to their stress load.
However, teachers may feel the need to give homework because it serves as review and forces students to review the content. Some teachers may think that these resources assigned as homework are useful for the AP exams. In that case, teachers should make those assignments optional because every student has their own personal study preferences.
When it comes to reviewing, students know what works and doesn’t work for them. In that short span of two weeks, every minute counts, and students can’t be bogged down with mandatory assignments they may feel doesn’t help them best review. There are a variety of study methods from flashcards, study guides and more that have different levels of effectiveness from student to student.
Furthermore, students know which content they’re weaker on and need to spend more time reviewing. Whether that be about wars, applying formulas, or even the structure of the test,this is where teachers need to trust their students to be self-motivated enough to study.
Class time should be spent reviewing content, clarifying student questions and guiding students so students know what to study at home. At home, students need independence to polish themselves best for the AP exam.
“Students already come home exhausted from school and are stressed from the burden of AP exams. The entire school year boils down to a single test and teachers assigning homework is a hurdle that just adds to the burden,” junior Angela Mohammadi said. “Students aren’t going to be able to do their best if they have to divide their time more.”
Ultimately, the entire purpose of a year’s long AP class is so that students get college credit. Students are placing the bet that their entire year of struggle pays off and allows them to skip that class in college. Without passing the AP exams, students will have to take the entire class again in college which means an entire year wasted.
Just like studying for any test, students need time to review all the year’s worth of material and content. As students transition back to in-person AP exams, teachers should not give out homework during AP week.
