As I write this,
only 26 days remain until the AP Psychology Exam on May 7th! That
means the next three and a half weeks will be extremely busy as we conclude our
final curricular units and continue to intensify our reviewing.
No doubt, these
last few weeks leading up to the exam will be a challenge for all. We’ve been
building to this point all year. The content from our latest unit – on Psychological
Disorders and Treatment – will be the most challenging we’ve faced to this point.
Students will have to master many new vocabulary words (over one hundred) and
apply concepts learned in previous units in order to differentiate between 27
different psych disorders and 9 different treatment approaches. They will have
to know names of many common psychiatric drugs and the mechanisms by which they
work.
Additionally,
students will continue work on their 40-Day Countdown Packets. These
comprehensive (but lengthy) review guides, which were distributed in early
March, should be worked on DAILY from now until their completion. They are due
on May 8th (the day following the exam), and students have been
marking their progress on charts in our classroom. While many students have
been impressive in their progress to date, others are now finding themselves
making up for time lost due to procrastination. Parents might help encourage
their students to make steady progress on this assignment, as delaying it only
means risking future nights of anxiety, panic, and despair as the exam date
approaches.
It will also help
to remain alert to a number of upcoming opportunities for review, engagement,
and mastery over the next few weeks. These include a chance to take a
full-length practice exam, two evening study sessions for our (two) remaining
unit tests, and two weekend study opportunities for the AP Exam itself. Here
are the “big” calendar items:
·
Thursday,
April 12th – “Out of the Shadows” Event @ Sacred Heart Hospital in
Eau Claire (5:30 PM). Interested
students have already registered for this event, which focuses on child and
adolescent mental health in the Chippewa Valley.
·
Friday, April
13th – Psych Club Team Trivia – Lunch B in rm 136. Get together a group of (no more than 5)
fellow psych enthusiasts and test your knowledge of psychological terms,
people, and concepts while reviewing for the AP Psych exam. Prizes and glory
for the winners…but doesn’t everybody win when we learn? J
·
Monday,
April 16th – Psych Disorders & Treatment Test Review Session –
5:00 – 7:00 PM in rm 136. One final
review with classmates and Mrs. Welle as you prepare for a very challenging
unit test!
·
Tuesday,
April 17th – TEST: Psych
Disorders & Treatment
·
Sunday, April
22nd – Optional Practice
AP Exam - 3:00-5:00 PM in rm 136. Take
a full length practice test for the AP Psych Exam. Results (scored before you
leave) will help you determine areas of relative strength and weakness (i.e. you
will identify which topics need the most review in the final two weeks before
the real thing). This also will help calm the nerves of first-time AP test
takers (through simulated practice).
·
Tuesday,
April 24th – LAST Chapter
Quiz (Ch. 18); Mandatory Pre-administration Meeting 2nd Hour for all AP Testers. During 2nd hour on this day all
students registered for AP exams (in all subject areas) will complete pre-administration
procedures for test day in the cafeteria, with the help of Student Services
Staff. (Note to my 2nd hour students…we’ll come up with a
work-around for your quiz.)
·
Sunday,
April 29th – OPTIONAL AP EXAM REVIEW SESSION - 5:00 – 8:00 PM in rm
136. Prepare for the AP Psych Exam
with the help of Mrs. Welle and your classmates. We’ll be taking suggestions
for topic areas to be covered during the week prior.
·
Monday,
April 30th – Social Psychology Test Review Session – 5:00 – 7:00 PM
in rm 136. Join us for our LAST review session for a unit test! Vocab,
flashcards, & practice Free-Responses!
·
Tuesday,
May 1st – TEST: Social Psychology
·
Saturday,
May 5th = PROM… Have fun,
but for goodness sake use good judgment and don’t wear yourself out too much.
·
Sunday,
May 6th – FINAL (OPTIONAL) AP EXAM REVIEW SESSION AND SIGMUND
FREUD’S BIRTHDAY PARTY EXTRAVAGANZA – 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM (or later, as needed). This is it! Your chance to clarify any
lingering confusions that you were alerted to during all your prior reviewing
endeavors. It will be aimed at achieving confidence, fluency, and mastery of
all we’ve learned this year. A time for putting the “final touches” on your
understanding so that you can proceed to the exam the following day with cool
self-assurance. Since this day is also Sigmund Freud’s birthday, wear your
Psych Club shirt and expect cake.
I told you we’d be busy!
Given how much is
on our plates this time of year, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. When you
start to feel this way, remember that I am ready and willing to do whatever it
takes to help you meet this challenge. My room is open to you during lunch for getting
assistance or for just a quiet place to work (and you might see some classmates
there). Please take advantage of all the evening and after-school study
opportunities you can. It will help calm your nerves and improve your grades.
I’m confident
that all of my students have what it takes to finish strong in the coming
weeks, but it will take continued discipline and an “eyes on the prize”
mentality. Best of luck to everyone as we grit our teeth and roll up our
sleeves for this final round!
Then we’ll all have a collective sigh of relief on May 8th. J
