by Pierce Davison
Staff Writer
“Please put down your pencil and stop working,” is the phrase AP students long to hear after a difficult year of studying college-level material.
After finishing AP tests, the mood in AP classes changes from chaotic to relaxed. There is wide range of activities in AP classes on campus from kicking back to watch movies to applying class content to current world problems, from grade-boosting projects to therapeutic frisbee tossing sessions.
The relaxed nature of post-AP test class activities make up for the painstaking year of long, grueling hours spent dissecting review materials and AP review books.
“[post-AP testing time is] relaxing and a nice break from all the studying…and I can work on SAT and ACT studying now,” said junior Gajanth Anigol, who took four AP classes this year. In his AP calculus class, “We have ‘fun days.”
Senior Alex Rutan believes dopey activities have no place in AP classes after the test.
“They’re a waste of time,” he said.
AP US History teacher Sarah Wondolowski has a project slated for post-AP testing.
“We are going to do a family history project where you are going to research your family going back one generation or a hundred generations and make a Google map,” said.
Each student will present his or her project to the class for their final.
“It’s a good chance to raise our grades,” said AP US History student Katy Buffo about the projects assigned after AP tests.
Teachers like Wondolowski try to strike a balance between creating a relaxing environment and maintaining an academic atmosphere.
“I like to let kids be creative and pick the parts of history that they are interested in,” said Wondolowski.
AP Biology teacher Stephanie Verbanksy said that she wished she could have had more time for her students to examine current research.
“Because the AP Bio curriculum is so intense, there isn’t a lot of time for engaging with current writing, research and projects so this is a great opportunity to do what I would have liked to do all year long,” she said.
AP Statistics teacher Mark Thompson plans students in his class will do something “to have them use what they’ve learned in a meaningful way.”
Their project is “about a question that they maybe want to have answered, and there’s no obvious answer to their question,” said Thompson.
Thompson also said of the project that “It’s not super intense, but it’s a nice practical way to end the year.”