For high school students around this time of year, studying becomes tedious, all-encompassing, and smothering. In many schools, the AP tests are coming. Last January, I thought it would be a great idea to take three of these "college-level" courses. I can handle it, I thought. It won't be that bad, I told myself.
Yeah, right.
The review is falling behind, the homework is piling up, and it's getting harder and harder to keep my grades up. I was going to create my own review sheets out of my textbook, but after a few days, I realized I didn't have the time to be retaking notes on all the chapters. So yesterday, I went down to Barnes&Noble, in defeat, to buy some ready-made review books, which I knew would cost a fortune.
The shelf, set in plain view for desperate students, had an overwhelming amount and variety of review books for every subject imaginable. I tried to find ones on the subjects I was looking for -- maybe a better way to phrase that would be to say that I tried to carry the books I found. The cover of one for AP U.S. History struck me as odd. "A BETTER SCORE GUARANTEED!" How on earth can you guarantee a better score? How do you say to yourself afterwards, "Man, if I only didn't buy that book, I would have gotten a 4 instead of a 3!" That's just ridiculous! Needless to say, I put that one back.
One of them was about three inches thick and impressively large. Large means more information, more information means a better score, right? Well, the first 50 pages were introduction and the next 100 on test-taking tips. I figured if between previous AP tests and the ACT and the ITED tests I've taken I have not been able to figure out how to answer a test question, there was no way one book was going to help me in the weeks before the tests. So that one was dragged back to the shelf and placed on the lowest level -- although it wasn't in its section, it was heavy and kept flipping open when I tried to put in back where it belonged.
Another said "THREE FULL PRACTICE TESTS!" in huge yellow letters on the front. What, I wonder, is the value of "THREE FULL PRACTICE TESTS!" when you have teachers and resources with ten-plus years of released exams and essay questions? I didn't even take this one off the shelf. The next book was entitled "500 Questions You Should Know for the AP Exam." At first I was a little suspicious of this book, but I opened the AP Biology one and was pleasantly surprised. It was divided into the same sections the College Board divides the course into, and the multiple choice questions were legitamitely hard. I set this one aside, even though I hadn't come for an AP Biology review book. The only thing that kept nagging at me was that it was $14.00. That's a lot of money!
I finally chose the Kaplan Express Review books for AP U.S. History and English Language and Composition. I don't have that much time, and these were also the least expensive. These companies must make a fortune on the books, because I doubt that they cost $25 a piece to make (that was the most expensive book there). Obviously, AP students are extremely reliant on these books because they're easier than writing review sheets for every chapter in your textbook. I didn't want to be the person who buys the review book and prays for a 4. But with three classes, there isn't a chance on this earth I can do this alone.
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