Last time I talked about the preparation process for my TOEFL iBT test, and this time I will be introducing all my study processes before the actual AP exam days. For 2024, I took 6 APs in total, including AP Calculus AB, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Biology, AP World History, and AP English Language and Composition.
AP Calculus AB
For this test, I used the Princeton Review prep book alongside the courses on Khan Academy, to help me gain knowledge of the subjects being tested. Most of my studies go like that, and it applies to almost every subject I took.
I only practiced on the mock exams provided and didn't really have time or the need to go through every single chapter inside. I found it very helpful to learn through the mistakes in a mock test, and I finished all 5 practice tests included in the book.
AP Physics 1
I also used the Princeton Review prep book and Khan Academy for the subject. However, I didn't really manage my time well during preparation causing me to only cram on practice exams last minute. I took my very first practice test only 2 weeks before my actual test. It was a terrible idea since I found out that I barely understood anything near the last minute, and it made me very nervous about testing.
For this specific subject, I would say that studying merely at Khan Academy is not enough, which is what I've realized after doing so. If I could restart the whole preparation process, I would definitely start doing practice tests sooner.
As a result, I only did about 2 practice exams out of the 5 provided in the prep book, which was a big mistake for me. Additionally, I didn't even read a single page of the topic provided. I hope that I will never make the same mistakes again.
AP Physics 2
Same as AP Physics 1, the resources I used for this subject are the same. A little difference is that the course at Khan Academy regarding this subject has no practice questions for each topic. I didn't really think it would matter that much and stuck to learning on the platform, but I soon realized that I knew nothing about how to connect each equation together to solve a problem. This is also a major mistake I've made.
I didn't actually understand the equations and the reasons behind their creation, and my first attempt on the practice exam ended up with a terrible result. From what I've remembered, I only got a two on the practice test. Overall, I did finish two practice tests and that was all it provided. Still, I would hope that I could have invested more time in finding online practice questions or doing the unit tests included in the prep book just to get more familiar with the questions.
This exam is one of the lowest scores I got for this year, not because I don't know but rather because I did not put enough effort and time into preparing. I was focusing on my robotics competition during preparation.
AP Biology
For this exam, I have also utilized the same two resources. Different from the physics courses, Khan Academy does have practice questions for each section and unit in the AP Biology course. I was more familiar with the concepts before test day because I did 4 practice exams in total and reviewed a lot beforehand.
During test day, I was actually super nervous because this exam was one of the two exams I had the chance to actually get a five. However, when I was taking the test, multiple choice was fine at first, but the free-response section really scared me as the format and question difficulty were completely out of my expectations.
Not only did I leave 4 questions on the free-response question blank, but I also answered the graphing question wrong, which was my most confident section in the test. I didn't feel sad but actually scared, because it seemed like I had lost the chance of getting two 5s on this year's test.
Thankfully, maybe because my multiple choice question saved me, I managed to get a five on the exam. I was really relieved and couldn't be more surprised, I guess hard work really pays off sometimes.
AP World History
Similar to AP Physics 2, the Khan Academy course didn't contain practice questions for this subject, but I still stuck with the video lessons provided. The same mistake was made again, I focused too much on completing all the lessons at Khan Academy but didn't do actual questions and tests to check my knowledge. As a consequence, I forgot almost everything when doing the first practice test, my knowledge level was as I have never learned through Khan Academy before.
Moreover, this test contains a section where essays are required. There are short answer questions alongside long essay responses and a document-based essay. I only found out that it wasn't a normal free-response section 1 month before test day, and it really made me panic. The worst thing was that I am famous(? with bad essay writing skills, I don't even know how I was supposed to structure my response to contain points from the documents provided.
I had a very hard time reading other's sample essays to find a structure that also suited my writing style. In the end, I did manage to understand the Document Based Essays, because it only required us to analyze the documents and utilize them to support our claim. However, the long essay really troubled me because it required actual history knowledge on the specific topics provided in the question. It kind of depends on luck whether or not I get the topic I am more familiar with, but I barely know historical events in detail. All I can do is to come up with a thesis and get at least one point, which was what I aimed for.
I completed only 2 mock exams out of all 5 provided, and I really did not have any bit of confidence during the test, but I still tried my best to guess and at least finish the essays.
AP English Language and Composition
Lastly, this subject was also the one that took the lowest score. I didn't have time to read strategies of answering questions nor did I have the time to actually build my essay skills and reading skills before the test. All I did was finish 3 practice tests and correct them, and I soon realized that I was really bad at English, since I didn't understand most paragraphs and barely knew the answers to the question.
The worst part is that the free-response question required us to write 3 long essays continuously within 2 hours and 15 minutes, and sometimes I use up half the time trying to read the documents and articles provided in the question. The essay required an even higher level of writing skills compared to the ones in AP World History.
I wish I had put more time into developing my own pace for reading the passages in the multiple choice question because I really rushed during my actual test and wasted a lot of time. Or maybe I just have to admit that my reading speed is low and that I am just not good at English.
Lessons I have learned
During this year's preparation process, I have regretted a lot of things and made a lot of mistakes. I would like to talk about them so you may have the chance to avoid them.
1. Not doing practice questions (only passive learning)
The first and most important lesson is to not rely on passive learning, which means solely relying on taking notes from online videos or in class. Since listening to teachers talking and writing down notes are super simple I usually get the wrong idea of me actually making a lot of progress in understanding a new knowledge.
However, this is exactly why passive learning is so addictive that I wouldn't try to do questions or even review because I am afraid of failing or getting a question wrong. It was only when I actually did a full test that I realized I had done the wrong thing for the whole preparation, I figured that I barely remembered anything as if I had never learned.
I think I should keep in mind that without practicing and reviewing over and over again, no knowledge will be actually stored in my memory. Moreover, I wanted to tell my past self to not be afraid of failing because it is a necessary process toward further success.
2. Pouring too much time into extracurriculars
Another mistake I made was spending too much time in my robotics competition preparation, and spending only a little time on test preparation because I think I can do well. I guess this is an overconfidence that I built after getting good scores on my easier AP exams last year, and I am really disappointed with my own behavior after looking back now.
Another reason leading to this was because my mind was all about robotics even in the morning when I was supposed to study. I think I am easily attracted to things that are more relaxed and can easily forget about the subjects that are actually important to me.
If I could go back in time, I would really want to tell my past self that spending my time studying can produce better outcomes for myself. Even if I had to drag myself away from the robotics lab, or if I had to slap myself awake, I would be willing to do so.
3. Not finding my pace for AP English Language and Composition
Another point I would like to fix is to find my own pace in reading the articles and answering the questions. What I experienced during the test was a complete mess because I messed up my reading pace and was worried about not having enough time to answer the questions. I wish I had developed a pace for me to follow and not be lost when anxious about the time limit.
I believe if I had slowed down to understand the words written in the article, I could've answered a lot more questions confidently and maybe increased my score.
