As the school year draws to a close, the levels of stress seniors experience continues to rise. Many seniors are enrolled in more than one Advanced Placement (AP) course. For many, these courses are the sources of constant stress and anxiety. As the days of school continue to decrease, the sleepless nights increase.

Seniors taking AP classes are faced with weeks crammed with tests. With three weeks remaining, the end of the semester is filled with AP final exams, AP College Board exams, and finals for regular classes. Not to mention, twelfth graders are also preparing to graduate, while simultaneously dealing with details for college.

Arianna Hartzler, 12, stated, “I literally have zero time for anything else. I have no time for family. On my birthday, I went out for dinner, and it was a stretch to get an hour for dinner, because I was so stressed about my AP finals and exams.”

AP finals and exams are severely affecting students. They are detracting from sleep and causing unnecessary stress all for the sake of a simple test. AP courses have become consuming as the summer draws nearer.

“They are making me want to rip out all of my hair and see if I still have a scalp. Like, I am so stressed. And I go home and do four hours of homework, when I get home at 8:00. I get zero sleep as it is, I get zero sleep while I’m studying for these stupid tests, and the fact that we have to take finals before the AP test is absolutely ridiculous,” Hartzler said.

Even though the classes are designed to be college courses and the exams are designed by the College Board, many students are discovering that the exam, which encompasses the entirety of the year (both semesters), to be much more difficult than the semester finals created by the teacher.

“I’m studying for the finals more than I’m studying for the AP exams, even though the exams mean more to me than the finals,” Hartzler divulged. “So it’s taken two weeks away from studying for AP tests to start studying for the finals, because the finals are harder than the AP tests, because they’re not AP College Board exams, they’re actual written tests, designed by the teacher.”

The AP classes are also taking precious time away from studying for the non-AP courses. Students are devoting their time to preparing for Advanced Placement finals and exams, which leaves the other classes to suffer.

Hartzler revealed, “After all my AP stuff is done, I really only have one class to worry about, which is nice, but it definitely takes away from studying for other classes. In the past few years, I have started studying like a month in advance for all of my classes so that I’m not stressed out the day before or the week before, so I can focus on the stuff that I really need to. But this year I’ve had to completely stop studying for all of my other classes and only study for my two APs.”

Despite the struggles and the pains, many students still believe that AP courses are worth the trials they present.

“I think the class is totally worth it, I just wish they did finals after the AP exams. I mean, you meet great people and you get the college experience while you’re still in high school, while you’re still getting taught by a high school teacher. It kind of prepares you for how much work load you’re going to have in college. It’s a lot to do, but it definitely makes you manage your time better and makes sure that you’re getting everything done and that you’re not just partying every day,” Hartzler said.

Advanced Placement courses are difficult; they are designed to be that way. They take time and dedication, but the rewards are great. Because of these classes, high school students are better prepared for life in college. Taking on the work, the responsibility, and the commitment of AP courses is not for everyone, but those students who overcome the stress can find that the benefits outweigh the struggles.