The Pressure Cooker of AP Season
As the school year begins to wrap up and summer slowly approaches, high school students all over the country are catching their breath after what is widely considered the most intense time of the academic calendar: AP season.
At Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES), students have faced weeks filled with heavy workloads, sleepless nights, and the emotional rollercoaster of preparing for and taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
For many students, this season has tested much more than their academic knowledge, it’s tested their patience, mental health, time management skills, and even their physical well-being.
Sophia Haroutunian, a senior at LACES, shared her personal experience, saying, “This AP season, I’ve been extremely sleep deprived because the stakes are high.” As a senior, Sophia is no stranger to the pressures of AP exams, but with college decisions already made and the end of high school in sight, many might assume the pressure would be less. That wasn’t the case. Instead, students like Sophia felt an increased pressure to finish strong and earn scores that could translate into college credit.
At a time when many seniors are dealing with “senioritis,” Sophia noted that she still learned to manage her time better than ever before, proving that even during periods of stress, growth is possible.
Juniors Under Fire: Balancing It All
Unfortunately, the burden of AP season doesn’t just fall on seniors. Juniors arguably carry even more weight, as they try to juggle APs, extracurriculars, final grades, and college prep, all while still being expected to show up every day and perform at their best.
Ava Kim, a junior at LACES, described her experience as both academically difficult and emotionally overwhelming. “It was very overwhelming,” she said. “But I took classes that I wanted to learn about. APUSH was fun because I knew I wanted to learn it. Other than that, testing was definitely hell because you have to manage everything at once.” Ava’s comments reflect what many students feel: the deep internal conflict between genuine interest in a subject and the harsh realities of academic pressure.
Advanced Placement classes are college-level courses offered to high school students, and they culminate in exams typically taken in early to mid-May. These exams are standardized and administered by the College Board. Students who score well, usually a 3 or above on a scale of 1 to 5, may receive college credit or advanced placement in university courses.
While that might sound appealing, the process to get there is not easy. AP classes often move at a faster pace than standard courses and require students to absorb college-level material while also balancing other responsibilities. Students are expected to take initiative, complete more homework, and study outside of class time. And then, when May arrives, they’re expected to perform under high-stakes testing conditions, multiple exams within just a few weeks.
What makes AP season particularly challenging is the intensity of the workload compressed into a very short timeframe. Students taking multiple AP classes may find themselves sitting for back-to-back exams, sometimes with as little as 12 hours between them. This year, LACES students reported taking AP exams in subjects like AP English Literature, AP U.S. History (APUSH), AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP Psychology, among others. Each exam can last anywhere from two to four hours, and some consist of multiple sections, including essays and complex problem-solving.
Sleep is often the first thing to go during AP season. Sophia’s comment about being “extremely sleep deprived” echoes the experiences of many students who stay up late studying, reviewing notes, watching YouTube tutorials, and taking practice tests. Even weekends are consumed with studying. Students also reported feeling increased levels of anxiety, burnout, and pressure to succeed.
For high-achieving students, AP scores can feel like a reflection of their intelligence or their potential future success, even though they’re just one part of a larger academic journey. The emotional pressure is intense, and for students who don’t have strong support systems at home or in school, the experience can become isolating.
While schools like LACES do their best to support students, through counseling services, AP prep sessions, and teacher encouragement, the sheer weight of the testing season can often feel overwhelming.
Growth, Reflection, and What Comes Next
Despite all the stress and exhaustion, many students also walk away from AP season with a sense of accomplishment. Ava Kim’s comment about enjoying APUSH because she wanted to learn it shows that learning, even in a high-pressure environment, can still be fulfilling when students are truly engaged in the subject. That sense of agency, choosing what to study and diving deep into topics that matter to them, can be a powerful motivator.
Sophia’s growth in time management is another example of how students can emerge from AP season stronger than they were before. The ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure, stay focused on long-term goals, and maintain academic discipline are life skills that will carry into college and beyond.
Some students also form strong study groups, develop meaningful relationships with their teachers, and gain confidence in their academic abilities. Completing AP exams is no small feat, and surviving the season is something students can, and should, be proud of. As AP season ends, students at LACES and beyond are reflecting on their experiences. Some are already planning which APs to take next year. Others are celebrating that they’ll never have to take one again.
The scores will be released in July, and while those results can feel important, they don’t define a student’s intelligence or worth. The AP system itself is not without criticism. Many educators argue that the College Board’s standardized format doesn’t allow for enough flexibility in how students learn or demonstrate their knowledge. Others point out the inequality in access to AP classes across different schools and districts. Still, for now, APs remain a key part of many students’ academic journeys.
One thing is certain, AP season is a uniquely challenging time in a student’s high school career. It demands energy, focus, and resilience. And while it may be exhausting, it also teaches students what they’re capable of when the stakes are high. So as the Class of 2026 finishes their junior year and the Class of 2025 prepares for graduation, students like Sophia and Ava can say they survived one of the most demanding parts of high school. That, itself, is a win.
<Esther Hong Student Reporter> LACES ehong0006@mymail.lausd.net
Editor’s Note:
This piece does an excellent job capturing the real-life pressure that AP exams place on high school students. Through honest interviews and thoughtful storytelling, it offers a vivid look into how academic stress shapes student life during one of the most intense periods of the school year.
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