Very high rates of AP participation is the main aspect of McLean High School that differentiates it from most other schools; how many AP’s one takes is greatly valued within our school. According to US News Best High Schools, the AP participation rate is 80 percent for McLean High.

Sophomore Zeyad Khadih’s schedule serves as a testament to this participation rate, as two of the four AP’s he is taking are Physics 1 and Calculus BC. These classes are usually taken by juniors, and are accompanied by AP World History and AP Computer Science A in his schedule.

“The secret to success at school is keeping up with all the work,” Khadih said.

Considering this academic culture that exists in this community, most students figure out the study techniques that work for them prior to high school. However, some students are less acquainted with the rigorous curriculums presented by AP courses.

“The workload is insane for AP World,” sophomore Owen Thomas said. “Every time that I have to do the reading I regret taking this class.”

Although it is not easy to consistently do the readings and homework in AP classes, it’s importance is still emphasized by teachers.

“In AP World, when students tend to struggle a lot of times its because they aren’t doing the reading or keeping up with the homework,” AP World teacher Lindsey Fisher said.

Due to the fact that AP exams, like a final exam, are an assessment of all of the information learned in the class that year, being able to consistently complete homework on time is a vital aspect of learning the content that will be tested.

“The secret to academic success is all about keeping up,” sophomore Rakib Anam said. “Before you sign up for a class, ask yourself: ‘Can I keep up?’.”

However, even after consistently completing the homework and readings some students still may not be prepared, or may feel as though extra preparation is necessary.

“The study aid section at my favorite bookstore is an absolute lifesaver,” Khadih said. “There’s always some sort of study material available to buy there, and all the extra review I’ve been able to do makes me even more confident about my AP exams next month.”

Overall, Khadih has figured out and is preaching the most important factors in doing well in exams, and even just in school in general.

“It’s all about consistency,” Khadih said. “If you can consistently turn work in on time and are consistently proactive about reviewing for exams, good grades will come.”

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