In the month of May, students have two things in mind: finals and the coveted summer vacation. Advanced Placement students, on the other hand, are focused on scoring well on the AP exam after preparing all year long.

According to the College Board, “AP courses are rigorous, college-level classes in a variety of subjects that give students an opportunity to gain the skills and experience colleges recognize.” Some of the hardest classes at EHS include AP Chemistry, AP Physics and others which help prepare students to score well on the exam at the end of the year.

Senior Dean Stuart is taking the AP Calculus BC exam and the AP Physics exam, and wanted to apply what he learned from his rigorous course load.

“It was just important because I spent the year taking the class, so I figured why not take the exam?” he said.

To score the elusive five on an AP exam, it’s about application. John Meinzen’s AP Statistics students finished their classwork a few weeks prior to the test date and spent the final weeks reviewing and practicing.

“We’ve been doing prep such as working on questions from past AP exams in class,” junior Katrina Agustin said. “We also took a three-hour mock exam one day to see what it’ll be like on the actual test day.”

The main motive to take these extra tests is to save money. A good score on an AP exam can exempt you from freshman level classes, open up new opportunities in lab or with different professors, and save you money. It depends on the college, but most institutions take threes and higher.

Junior Maria Fitzgerald, an AP US History student, is looking to be exempt from classes at St. Louis University, University of Alabama, University at Arkansas or the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

“I want to earn college credit without paying a fortune for college classes,” she said. “(I hope to save) about $600, but it depends on the credit I receive.”

Junior Ryan Proctor is taking the AP US History exam despite not taking the AP US History class, like many of Keith Baker’s other students. Mr. Baker teaches both HUSH and APUSH and prepares his honors students for the exam as well.

“(Mr. Baker prepared me) by being the best teacher I’ve ever had,” Proctor said. “His knowledge of the curriculum, his love for teaching and the way he presents the material is superior to any other teacher I have ever had.”