With AP testing coming up in just a week and graduation coming up in just over a month for the seniors of 2011, everyone is feeling the stress. Not only are students from district 196 being affected by this, but seniors from other schools are also feeling the burn.
Close to home is Kristine Hiedeman, an Eastview senior about to take several AP tests. She compared her junior and sophomore years to now and concluded that there is definitely more stress. But why?
"Because now we have a clear view of where these credits are going to take us. I have two siblings and when I go to college, these credits will be great stress relievers for my parents, no matter how much financial aid and scholarships I earn." Kristine admits that her parents will be helping her and both of her sisters pay their ways through college.
And then there’s the question of graduation.
"Of course I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm also very excited." Kristine says smiling. "I'm just glad I don't have to worry about the grad party. My parents have that under control; I just selected the date."
When asking 18 year old Krysten Rodrigues of East Ridge High school how the upcoming AP tests have affected her days, she didn't even have to think about it. "Studying for these tests has become the foundation of my day. Its boring, but the teachers just keep loading on the reviews."
Krysten will be taking the AP Government test as well as the AP Language test at the beginning of May.
The effects of focusing on just a very few things are becoming obvious. "I dislike going to class now because I know it will just be another day of review. I get bored and then procrastinate because of the boredom," claims Krysten who waves a four page packet in my face. "This is what I do every day now."
During passing time this past week, a small cry could be heard from down the hall. "This pretest will help determine where you'll be when you take your own actual test this year!"
The teacher, who will remain anonymous has been one of the very building blocks of Eastviews math section and has put hundreds of students through AP testing through the years. "I see kids stressing out and criticizing themselves every year. Even kids who have done excellent throughout the entire year begin to feel pressure and thats not what we're going for. All we can ask is that they do their best."
This teacher's student performance rates go up every year. Upon asking whether the AP test has anything to do with it, the response was a little bit confusing.
"The AP test has everything and nothing to do with it. Student performance in my classes is not effected by what they score on the AP test. Student performance here is determined by getting their work done and being responsible buzzards. Put it this way. Every year the bar gets set higher and though we can for sure meet the standards; the students stress because they want to do better, not just pass." And then, singling someone out, he points saying “Hey shooter, I’d better be invited to your grad party!”
The senior year of class "Double One" has been full of opportunities to slide and get sick from Minnesota's never-ending winter, but if you ask the students and teachers if the long, stressful trip to these AP tests was worth it, they'd say "Definitely."
Close to home is Kristine Hiedeman, an Eastview senior about to take several AP tests. She compared her junior and sophomore years to now and concluded that there is definitely more stress. But why?
"Because now we have a clear view of where these credits are going to take us. I have two siblings and when I go to college, these credits will be great stress relievers for my parents, no matter how much financial aid and scholarships I earn." Kristine admits that her parents will be helping her and both of her sisters pay their ways through college.
And then there’s the question of graduation.
"Of course I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm also very excited." Kristine says smiling. "I'm just glad I don't have to worry about the grad party. My parents have that under control; I just selected the date."
When asking 18 year old Krysten Rodrigues of East Ridge High school how the upcoming AP tests have affected her days, she didn't even have to think about it. "Studying for these tests has become the foundation of my day. Its boring, but the teachers just keep loading on the reviews."
Krysten will be taking the AP Government test as well as the AP Language test at the beginning of May.
The effects of focusing on just a very few things are becoming obvious. "I dislike going to class now because I know it will just be another day of review. I get bored and then procrastinate because of the boredom," claims Krysten who waves a four page packet in my face. "This is what I do every day now."
During passing time this past week, a small cry could be heard from down the hall. "This pretest will help determine where you'll be when you take your own actual test this year!"
The teacher, who will remain anonymous has been one of the very building blocks of Eastviews math section and has put hundreds of students through AP testing through the years. "I see kids stressing out and criticizing themselves every year. Even kids who have done excellent throughout the entire year begin to feel pressure and thats not what we're going for. All we can ask is that they do their best."
This teacher's student performance rates go up every year. Upon asking whether the AP test has anything to do with it, the response was a little bit confusing.
"The AP test has everything and nothing to do with it. Student performance in my classes is not effected by what they score on the AP test. Student performance here is determined by getting their work done and being responsible buzzards. Put it this way. Every year the bar gets set higher and though we can for sure meet the standards; the students stress because they want to do better, not just pass." And then, singling someone out, he points saying “Hey shooter, I’d better be invited to your grad party!”
The senior year of class "Double One" has been full of opportunities to slide and get sick from Minnesota's never-ending winter, but if you ask the students and teachers if the long, stressful trip to these AP tests was worth it, they'd say "Definitely."
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