How to Do Better in Advanced Placement Classes

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are a huge responsibility for anyone who chooses to take them in high school. Despite this, there are ways to be successful as they slowly eat away at your social life, and ways to not go crazy in the process. Here are some things I kept in mind during the year, allowing me to earn 4's and 5's on all of my AP exams and entered college only 3 credits shy of being a sophomore.

Get a study buddy
One of the best things you can do for yourself is find someone who is dependable and will always be there for you if you get caught in a bind. I had a friend who helped me with Advanced Placement European History -- we'd always do ID terms together come hell or high water. She was a rock when the stress of everything built so high I thought my head was going to explode. Not only did she help with assignments and studying, she also helped emotionally, and when one of us felt like we were being dragged behind in the class, the other could be motivational until we would get something done. Without her, I would definitely had a much harder time not only excelling, but just getting by. If you do yourself no other favor in your AP class, get yourself a study buddy.

Develop a network of friends to help
Almost as important to have as a study buddy is a network of people to help you in case you don't understand an assignment. Use Myspace and Facebook to post bulletins or message people who could help you. At the beginning of the year, try to get as many people's phone numbers as possible just in case one of them can help you in a bind. I can't tell you how many times a classmate saved my butt during especially challenging research papers.

Don't put off anything until the last minute
Advanced Placement assignments are more challenging for a reason, they're preparing you for the Advanced Placement exam at the end of the year. Don't let these assignments get the best of you. As much as you don't want to write a paper about Andrew Jackson's foreign policy, you'll want even less to see your grade go down not only in your class, but on your AP exam, if you don't do them. You signed up for an Advanced Placement class to be challenged, and one of the best things you can do is rise to these challenges. Get everyone you can done as soon as possible, and you'll have much fewer nights you have to stay up until 4 AM worrying about the Skinner Box.

Remember the exam is your ultimate goal
Don't make the mistake that I did: always remember that you're in your Advanced Placement class to prepare yourself for the AP exam. Many times, I'd learn the information for a reading check test and soon after let it float back out of my head. There's nothing worse you can do than that. There's no reason to be in an Advanced Placement class all year working yourself crazy to realize at the end of it all that you really can't remember much, even though you somehow finagled an A in the class. Even if you don't do as well as you'd like in your Advanced Placement class, always try to retain the information so you can recall it when it comes time for the AP exam. You'll be glad you did.

Don't overload the rest of your life
Don't try to tack on twenty different activities on top of multiple Advanced Placement classes. Taking an AP course can be tough enough, but when you add in a job, a boy or girlfriend, parties every Friday and Saturday night, trips to colleges, at least 10 hours of volunteer work a week, being on your varsity sports team, and nightly dinners with your friends, it gets a lot harder. Assess what is most important to you and focus on that. While the most important thing to you may be your grades and looking good to colleges, realize that if you neglect your social life, you will probably be completely miserable by the time May rolls around. Make sacrifices to keep yourself from getting burnt out. If you have to, be a little less anal about your AP Calculus grade and take a night to regroup. It's a balancing act, but if you eliminate the unnecessary aspects of your life, Avanced Placement classes will be that much easier.

Don't forget to sleep
While it may seem obvious, sleeping is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Sleeping helps you store memories and let your body grow and heal (as any AP Psychology student will eventually know). It's impossible to overstate how important sleep is to someone who is under a lot of stress -- like stress from taking AP classes. If you do anything for yourself, make sure you get as much sleep as you can, and therefore are well-rested for that big test the next day. While it may be hard to try to stay on top of your studying for AP classes, but it's even harder to try to stay on top of your sleep. But, if you can somehow manage to get the recommended 8 hours, you'll excel in ways your sleep-deprived friends can't.

Advanced Placement classes will probably consume a large part of your life, but don't give up. They're worth it in the end, and, hopefully with these tips, they won't leave you feeling like you've been hit by a train.