When you see a group of zombies terrorizing the halls of Collingwood during the beginning of May, you’re not facing the next apocalypse. You’re just looking at a hundred AP students hunting for coffee. The illnesses that have infected these zombies are AP exams, and unfortunately, there is no vaccine.
For those who aren’t familiar with this season, AP exams are offered for the first two weeks of May. This year, the exams run from May fourth to the sixteenth. Collingwood offers nineteen AP courses that require a final exam during this month. These courses range from AP Psychology to AP Physics C.
“AP” stands for Advance Placement. The courses are put together by College Board, and are meant to aid students who are planning on attending university in the US. Different from final examinations provided by Collingwood in June, AP exams don’t affect each student’s high school course marks. They are simply a measure of proving how well the student performed in the course.
An AP student receives a score from one to five on the given examination— five being the best possible score. These marks are based on a bell curve, as every student across the globe writes the same test. The number that the student attains is determined by the mark he or she received compared to every other person writing the exam. The percentage of students who receive each score varies from course to course. Basically, the goal is to receive a mark that is in the highest percentile of the exam-takers.
For the next month, stress levels will be at an ultimate high for some. Collingwood students can take as many AP courses as their schedules will conform to, but the higher the number, the more zombie-like the student. These exams are generally preceded by countless tutoring sessions, dreaded all-night study sessions, and overdoses of exhaustion.
So for those who haven’t caught the AP exam fever, be prepared for this unprecedented entertainment; the sequel to The Walking Dead is about to take place on Collingwood grounds.
By: Alex Weir