Celia Mann | Social Media Editor
May 2, 2025
Finals and AP Exams season means late nights, little sleep, and sipping coffee or energy drinks almost daily for teenagers across the country. Students find themselves staring down a mountain of study materials— flashcards, notes, textbooks, and review videos— questioning where to even start. Do you spend a little bit of time each day reviewing material and consistently studying? Or do you cram all the information in just a few days before the test?
In recent years, many teachers of higher level classes have started scheduling the final for their class mid or late April, in order to complete it before AP testing begins. Some students find this new process stressful, as the final exam begins just a week after covering all of the course material. However, sophomore Taylor Ball noted that “having finals before AP exams is helpful because the information is fresh in your mind.” Either way, instead of reducing the stress and spreading the load of work for students as this process was intended, all finals just shift to an earlier week rather than the scheduled time at the end of the year.
Not only does shifting this schedule cause unnecessary stress on students, but changes the dynamic of the rest of the year. Students are exhausted and burnt out by the time AP exams roll around, losing motivation to study for a second round of tests only a week later. Furthermore, the last three weeks of school are spent wasting time, as there is no new material needed to be learned or assignments to complete.
However, no matter the time of the test, there are two approaches to studying amongst students. Cramming has become a far more popular solution to studying for exams, frantically trying to absorb information mere days or hours before the test. Some students find working under pressure allows them to take in more information, and retain it just long enough to get through the test.
On the other hand, consistent practice and study habits are the typical “gold standard” for students, reinforcing knowledge over organized study sessions, repetition, and active recall techniques. Junior at SCHS Chloe Chafin said that she “personally believes in studying more consecutively for short amounts of time,” as it helps her “retain the information better.”
Ultimately, finals and AP exams tend to be the center of stress no matter how students choose to study. Does putting finals earlier really help the students? Or does it hinder them even further?
Leave a Reply