AP exams are approaching rather quickly, and this means the race is on to prepare well and do well. Teachers have more than likely begun cramming information into your already overflowing brain, allowing you to walk out of their classroom intimidated by a test, which has yet to occur.

You probably already know success on the AP exam, or exams if you are really going for it, is unlikely if you avoid studying and reviewing. When you sit down to study for your AP exams, here are some potentially helpful tips to help lead you to those wonderful college credits.

Practice

“Practice makes perfect” is a phrase tossed around often these days and is actually an accurate statement. Considering you are an AP student, chances are high you are good at repeatedly doing things over and over, but in case you are not, now would be a really good time to learn how. To start simply, practice tests are the solution to almost everything from the OAA when you were in elementary school to the OGT to the AP test. Completing the practice tests on a daily basis will help you become familiar with the setup of the test and make you familiar with questions they may ask you; therefore, all surprises can be eliminated.

Study Groups

Strength in numbers is helpful in the case of studying. Having multiple minds all working together to learn the same subject can help motivate you. Chances are you may be highly competitive and study groups may push you to do better than your peers. The other people in your group can also create new ways of thinking or viewing a certain subject or help you expand on something you already thought about. While surrounded by students just like you, who are all striving for success, two heads really can be better than one.

Rest and Rest Some More

No one operates well on a small amount of sleep the night before, so there is no way to do well on an important test if you are struggling to keep your eyes open. Netflix and Twitter will be there after the tests are over, so shut it off and go to bed at a reasonable time. If you are not watching Netflix or scrolling brainlessly through Twitter and instead you are spending your night with your head stuck in a book, stop and go to bed. Cramming right before is not beneficial at all, but instead backfires. A study by UCLA shows your brain becomes counterproductive and you are only hurting your performance for the test the following day.

Make the Experience Fun and Reward Yourself

Obviously, trying to make the experience of studying for a really intense AP exam exciting may sound a little pointless, but it will help to keep you focused. Flipping through pages of a textbook or your notes is great, but after a while, reading countless numbers of words will become really boring and you may find yourself distracted by other more fun things. The solution is to simply make what you are doing fun. There are multiple websites, such as Quizlet or Cramberry, which allow you to enter information you have to study and create games out of the material. Also, do not forget to celebrate your achievements when you are done. All of your hard work will pay off and you deserve to treat yourself to something exciting. Knowing there is an incentive will also help motivate you to greatness.

Curious about the date of your AP test? Check the testing calendar here.