It’s that time of year again.

The two week period that terrifies students and keeps teachers awake at night; AP testing has commenced!

I’ve been taking these tests since I was a freshman, and heading into my final round of exams, I currently have a good amount of college credit at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio (Go Barons). But is all the panic and cramming and the guidebooks worth it? In my experience, I would have to say, “Sure. If you enjoy being stressed.”

Look, if you don’t know the material that you’ve been covering for 18-27 weeks from the teacher who has studied years just to teach that subject, the “5 Steps To A 5” book and Quizlet aren’t going to cut it. If you don’t know the material by this point, you’re not going to learn it now.

The materials themselves say that they aren’t to be your only source of instruction. In the preface to “5 Steps To A 5, AP US History,” it reads “As your teacher…” Even the study materials show that a teacher is needed to have any chance of achieving a passing grade. And that’s all they are: materials and tools to be wielded by us as students to use. Speaking from experience, the books are useful as a refresher, but are hardly the necessity they promote themselves to be. In fact, a great number of people I know in multiple AP classes don’t even bother with the study books.

So the day of your AP test comes and you don’t die of a brain aneurysm from trying to recall that one fact you need for question #61. You may think that the nightmare is finally over.

But no, you have sit and wait and hope and beg and pray to whatever you believe in that you make the needed score to be exempt from the equivalent college course. Because not all AP test score exchange rates are created equal. My 3 on AP world history may get me a full year of history done at Franciscan, but someplace like UT-Austin might not look at anything less an 4.

Some institutions like Notre Dame just ignore history AP scores all together and refuse you any credit.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the cost of the AP tests is way cheaper than a college class and the teachers are more than likely more helpful than professors will be. But loading up on AP courses will put an enormous amount of pressure of you when this two-week period begins.

If you’re testing in the morning, you have be at the school by 7:30, take a difficult multiple choice test that’s about 65-70 questions long in 45-60 minutes, then write three essays within two hours. Then you “get” to go the rest of your classes with a fried mind.

And if you’re unlucky enough to have an afternoon test, you have two morning classes, then struggle through the ordeal just described.

But wait! If you play your cards just right, you could be one of those chosen souls who must take a morning and afternoon test ON THE SAME DAY. That means rushing through lunch just to have your brain fried yet again.

Just let this all go through your head when your teacher asks if you’re taking that AP test. You have been warned, and should you agree, only you can be able to weigh the exhilaration of a 4 or a 5 against the crushing responsibility of preparing all year.