AP exams are just around the corner. Although it is too late to sign up for them, those who have already signed up may be debating on whether to kill themselves studying, or just try to wing it.

“€œI am a strong believer that if you took the class, you should just take the test. It can’€™t hurt anything, and if you are able to pull a few credits out of it, it is worth the money of the test,”€ said Ames High graduate Johnny Hadish, who is currently attending Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.

“€œThe only credits that I was able to use were in calculus. For the other ones, Luther requires that you actually take the class,”€ Hadish said. “This being said, I think that preparing for AP tests help you get more out of the class and get better grades on the final. Especially in Mooney’s class. Mooney, however, would wonder why any sane person would subject themselves to that kind of torture”.

€ Hadish advises students to not become nervous about getting a bad grade on an AP test. “€œThe belief that colleges will look at poor AP scores and not let you in on this alone is unfounded in fact. The colleges basically consider AP as bonus, and most of the time don’t really care,” Hadish said.

Jackson Griffith agrees with Hadish. Griffith is currently a freshman at Iowa State University. “I got 14 college credits. I would say they are worth it, but don’t try to take too many. I did better the years I only took one test,”€ Griffith said.

It is important to check if the universities and colleges you are looking at take AP credits. This can help you decide how much you need to study.

“€œColleges usually do not make you retake math because it is such a well defined topic. You definitely should take the AP test for calculus because Mr. Sparkman is excellent at preparing students for this and is good at drawing,”€ Hadish said.

Good luck on your tests. Remember to eat a good breakfast and get enough sleep. Study a little, but as Hadish said, remember to “€œlive a little.”