Leah Koch, sophomore, was eager to challenge herself in Tim Harig’s AP World course, but as the test approaches, the stress is starting to get ahold of her. Below, she describes her fears and an unexpected superstition.

KC: What are your feelings about the upcoming AP exam you’re going to take?

LK: I’m really scared. I’m not really sure yet how I’m going to study for it. I’m just going to start [studying] soon because I’m so scared, mostly of how many essays we have to write and the amount of stuff we have to know.

KC: Do you think all the stress will be worth it?

LK: Definitely, because it’s going to be a really good feeling to get a 5. It would mean that I’m smart, I worked hard, and it’s going to look good when I’m applying to colleges. It would make Mr. Harig proud of course. It’s better to be in a challenging class than a class I’m bored in.

KC: Do you use any unique methods to study for tests?

LK: I study all day on the weekends, and when I get home from school to when I go to bed. I also have this superstition where I put the textbook of the class of my final the next day under my pillow. I feel like sleeping on it might put some extra information in my head.

At the end of this school year, Will Haenni, senior, will have taken six AP tests. Below, Haenni shares his feelings about AP exams and decides if the difficult tests were worth it.

KC: How do you feel about AP tests now?

WH: I definitely look at them more relaxed. I’m not as stressed out. I just try my best and hope for the best. You have to go into them with a relaxed mind set. Expecting a 5 [the highest possible score] isn’t a good mind set. I just say do your best and hope for the best; that’s all you can do.

KC: Do you think it’s worth it to take so many AP tests?

WH: Yeah. I got some credit hours for college, which saves money. They’ve already paid for themselves. You should definitely give it a shot. There’s nothing to lose but eighty bucks [to take the test].

Tim Harig, AP World teacher, works each day to prepare his students for the final AP exam. Below, he shares news about the test’s difficulty and a funny story from a past exam day.

KC: Do you think the AP tests are getting progressively harder?

TH: In some classes they are. Fifty percent of the country has not been passing [the AP World test]. So there has been some scuttlebutt about changing the test a bit. There’s a change this year. For instance, instead of ABCDE–five choices in a multiple choice question–there are four. Now does that make it easier? I think so. I think that’s the idea. But we’ll see.

KC: Have you heard any stories of when something went wrong during an AP test?

TH: There was one year as a joke where I told students I was going to be in a closet in the back of the room and bark out answers to them [during the exam]. There happened to be a closet in the room. At some point during the test, something in the closet fell, but it was just the shifting of weight, and everybody started howling because they thought it was me playing a joke. I would never do anything like that, but it was funny. They were like, “He’s here!”

In order to relieve the stress of the notoriously difficult AP US History exam, David Olderman, AP US History and American Studies teacher, takes his students bowling the night before the exam along with Stephen Platte, AP US History teacher.

KC: Why do you take your kids bowling before a test?

DO: Our review starts a month and a half before the exam, intensely for all that time period. There’s only so much you can do. I think it’s counterproductive to go home and cram that much more [the night before]. We’ve done what we’ve needed to do, so I think it’s healthier for the kids to cut loose, have some fun, relax and celebrate what we’ve done and what we’re going to take care of the next morning with the exam. And then we go down to McCallie [Hall] and take the exam. The kids are pretty frantic going in, and this is one way we can get them to relax a little bit and take a deep breath and just have some fun.

For Steven Jonak, AP Calculus teacher for 12 years, preparing students for their final AP exam is no small task. Below, he provides some advice for future exam-takers.

KC: Do you have any advice for students preparing for an AP test?

SJ: Study with friends. A lot of times, friends explain things in a way a teacher wouldn’t think of explaining. Get all your questions answered. Don’t be afraid to go to a teacher; that might clear up some other stuff.

Julie Sutfin has taught AP Physics for three years. Below, she gives some advice.