AP testing weeks are one of the most stressful times in high school. Students are trying to remember everything they learned all year while sitting through long, pressured exams. Students who take more than one AP class must sit for multiple exams in just a few days.
Simply stated, students should not have homework during AP testing weeks.
AP exams take up all of a student’s focus and energy. Studying for these tests is not something you can do in a few minutes. Students spend hours reviewing notes, doing practice questions and trying to memorize key information. When teachers still assign homework in other classes, it just adds more stress. Instead of focusing on AP studying, students end up splitting their time between assignments and exam prep, which makes everything harder.
Sleep is another major issue. During AP testing week, students stay up late studying because they feel like they don’t have enough time. If homework is added on top of that, it gets even worse. Students end up sleeping less, which hurts their performance on exams. If someone is exhausted during a test, it is harder to concentrate, think clearly and remember what they studied. “I feel like all week I was staying up late to study for exams and work on homework in my normal classes. I felt very overwhelmed because I want to do well on my exams but things keep getting in the way,” junior Jolie Ginsburg said.
Homework helps students keep up in classes but missing a few homework assignments or delaying them for a couple of days is not going to make students forget the entire class. Teachers already understand that AP exams are a priority, so it makes sense to give students a short break from regular work. “My AP exams take up most of my time so homework is not my priority at this time. I feel like some of my teachers understand that but others still want us learning,” junior Noa Lucas said.
Students already feel pressure during AP testing week. There is pressure to do well, pressure from colleges and pressure from themselves. Adding homework on top of that just makes the week feel overwhelming. Instead of being able to focus on one thing at a time, students feel like they are constantly doing work.
It is also important to remember that not all students have the same AP schedule. Students might have one exam, while others have three or four. On top of that, they might still have multiple homework assignments due. This is not fair to students. Removing homework during AP testing week would help make things more equal and give everyone a better chance to focus on their exams.
AP exams are supposed to measure what students learned throughout the whole year. Homework during that same week just distracts from that goal. A short break from homework would not hurt anyone, but it would help students perform better and feel less stressed
