The beep of an early morning alarm, getting ready as a zombie and barely being able to stay awake. WCHS students are tired and burned out by the time that AP testing comes around. The dozens of all-nighters many students pull throughout the year, piling up of assignments and now rigorous AP studying accumulate, causing AP exam season to be a stressful time for WCHS students.
Sleep is one of the most important things that a teenage student can get while undergoing some of the most tiring years of their life. However, many high school students find themselves up extremely late most nights, trying to finish their work before deadlines and study for their quizzes and tests the next day, on top of their activities and sports they may participate in. How can this change? Afternoon AP exams.
While afternoon AP exams may seem intimidating and dreadful on the surface, there are more benefits to these afternoon exams than students may presume. Afternoon AP exams start at the earliest of 12 p.m. This allows students to sleep in a few extra hours before their exam, allowing them to feel more well-rested and prepared for their exams.
According to Yale’s School of Medicine, sleep plays a crucial role in the formation and storage of long-term memories. This is very important as students must recall material that they learned from the beginning of the school year. The more sleep they get, the better they will be able to remember the content they learned and are studying.
Additionally, afternoon APs allow students to eat a fulfilling meal before their exam. According to Harvard Health, the brain requires a constant supply of fuel in order to function properly. The brain must work extremely hard in order to focus and recall information during AP exams, and it will not be able to do so without the proper fuel. It is important that students eat before their exams in order to set themselves up for success. The last thing that a student wants to hear is their stomach rumble and boom in the auditorium filled with students taking exams.
An important part of staying focused that students may not think about is how food is able to boost their focus and concentration. Many students have trouble eating a full meal early in the morning. With morning AP exams starting at 7:45 a.m., students must follow their normal school wakeup times and schedules, meaning a lot of them will not eat breakfast. By taking an afternoon AP, students can eat at a more “normal” time than they would if they took a normal AP which is important for their overall focus on the exam.
The best way for students to perform their best is not forcing them to do anything, such as eating early in the morning, but instead when they feel most comfortable, which can allow their body to be the most prepared going into test taking.
Many students are more alert in the afternoon than they are in the early mornings. Afternoon APs allow students to stay more focused instead of spending their time yawning during the exam. This is extremely important because AP tests have tight time restrictions and students must recall information from the beginning of the school year.
Additionally, students who struggle to wake up early in the morning will be less rushed or stressed to wake up so early on the day of their exam. This will reduce unnecessary anxiety in a student on top of the stress they already have. With a later start, students will feel less stressed that they will wake up late, thus leading to a better night of sleep for them. This is again a crucial aspect of being prepared for the AP exam and being able to put your best foot forward.
WCHS students benefit in many ways when they take afternoon AP exams, as they help them feel more confident and prepared when going into their testing rooms. Afternoon APs are often overlooked, but students should feel as though they are better set up for success when they have an afternoon AP exam.
