With AP classes crammed into semester-long blocks, I have no idea how I will be able to prepare for the exams in May. The workload is already constant and overwhelming, and on top of that, this entire process will be repeated during the second semester. As a student who would like to receive college credit from AP exams, I find the idea of taking the tests five months later very stressful.

Wilson started this school year with a revised four-by-four course schedule. This new course schedule has students completing four classes during the fall semester and four during their spring semester.  This creates the issue of some students having to wait and idle five months before they are able to take their AP exams. This brings up the issue of how students taking AP classes during the fall semester will be prepared for exams in May. Currently, I work around the clock just to complete the work that is due tomorrow. I have no idea how we are expected to study a full year of coursework in the coming semester while still learning content. 

This four-by-four schedule does, however, make the best out of a terrible situation. It implements social distancing through its virtual platform and prevents student-teacher contact. Previously, when students had an A/B schedule, students only saw their teachers up to 8 times a month. Now, students are able see their teachers 16 times a month. While this switching from year-long courses is a major trade off, it may be beneficial for students to have more interaction with their coursework and less courses to focus on.

A solution to the problem of students being prepared for the AP exams is using Wednesdays as review days for our previous AP courses. To move forward and prepare for the AP exams, cooperation is required from the students as well as the administration. The administration will need to come up with thorough plans for “course refreshers,” and students will need to commit to studying earlier. High school is stressful and challenging as it is. It’s hard enough already to retain information through the two months of summer. Hopefully, schools and the College Board will be able to accommodate students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.