<p>Here's the thing. This entire forum includes posts about how ap tests are easy if you study, and self-studying aps, and working hard. I guess I'm just not understanding the concept. Why study for aps? The people that did the best out of the people I know are the ones that never studied, and the ones that planned study time or prepared in advance got 2s and 3s. Does anyone else see that? Or is it just me?</p>
<p>Hmmm well I’m thinking your sample of people isn’t large enough. In my experience, the kids who get 5s are the ones who prepared the most throughout the year, the ones who get 4s crammed before the test, and 3s and below are those who didn’t give a **** about the class. Sure, there are some outliers, but why aim to be an outlier when you have a much higher chance of success if you study?</p>
<p>My sample is not particularly large, I will admit. Only 200 or so students at my school take aps yearly and their scores are what my observations are based on. However, it seems to hold true throughout my school, in all ap classes, that those who study do worse.</p>
<p>Knowing the score distribution of 200 students doesn’t mean anything. Did you poll each and every one on how many hours they studied, and how confident they felt going into the exam, etc.? This information is necessary to draw your conclusion. I know some really bright kids who don’t have to study much to get a 5, but that doesn’t mean a thing for everyone else. The majority of us prepare adequately for the exams and get the scores we deserved.</p>
<p>I’m not doing some kind of scientific study here. In the majority of cases I’ve seen, those who study less do better. If your experience is different, fine. I was just wondering if anyone else saw this kind of thing. Your opinion is appreciated though.</p>
<p>I agree with Unsureonlife’s observation, based on observation but no scientific study. However, there are certain people who I know that fit your description Kumquat94, but in my opinion, it’s not the vast majority of them.</p>
<p>I apologize if I came on a little strong. I admit, there is some resentment in me for kids who don’t have to work hard to do perfectly on these exams. Sure, my scores are the same as theirs on paper, but the work I put into that score is so much greater. In my school, the classes are top-notch enough that nearly all scores are 4s/5s for every exam each year; so studying is a necessity to get through the class. I’ve experienced very few people who can make it through an AP class at my high school with a good grade and not study throughout the year, which usually pays off with a good score.</p>
<p>UnsureOnLife, that makes sense. I suppose the students I have talked to must just be the outliers then.</p>
<p>don’t worry UnsureOnLife, I have that resentment too, although sometimes I have to wonder if maybe those kids actually go home and spend hours studying.</p>
<p>DreamChaser2013, I know kids like that. But again, in my experience the majority of kids that truly do well, do not try.
Hmm, awkward comma placement. I don’t really feel like fixing it though</p>
<p>I mean, all kids are different, but some of my observations are these:</p>
<p>*I studied my butt of for Chemistry but it totally wasn’t my forte. I got a 3.
*The smartest girl in school seems super organized and doesn’t seem to spend hours and hours studying, she just has good time management. She gets all 5s.
*My friend hated her Bio class, did her homework but didn’t study AT ALL for the AP test. She got a 1.</p>
<p>So my guess would be that the amount of effort you put into a class will be proportional to the score you get on the AP test, UNLESS you’re one of those people everyone hates and will <em>always</em> get a 5, regardless of study time. Yes, we all hate them, lol xD</p>
<p>I have never studied for any APs that were classes. Of those that were self-studies, I usually read through the textbook and prep book once, but never did much traditional “studying”.</p>
<p>There’s no causal link between not studying and doing well on AP tests. Rather smarter people tend to do well on AP tests AND tend to study less then everyone else - intelligence is the factor causing the performance and contributing to the lack of studying.</p>
<p>I didn’t study at all for biology and got a 4, but I had a wonderful teacher throughout the year. </p>
<p>For literature, I didn’t study (can’t really study for that test) but worked really hard in the class and got a 3 -.-</p>
<p>I crammed/tried to teach myself calculus but got a 1, because my teacher effing sucks.</p>
<p>“Rather smarter people tend to do well on AP tests AND tend to study less then everyone else - intelligence is the factor causing the performance and contributing to the lack of studying.” (snipersas)</p>
<p>I agree with this, basically.</p>
<p>My son does not study for anything. He also barely does HW or writing assignments.</p>
<p>His one AP score is a 5 in Euro, still awaiting APUSH (he didn’t want me to spend $8). The review books I bought him did not move from the spot in the bookcase from September until the week before the exam when I took them out and tried to quiz him.</p>
<p>He is thinking of doing a self-study on psych because he hated the course and dropped it, but we didn’t know about self-study this year.</p>
<p>He has similar results on SAT’s, ACT and SAT II’s, none of which he studied for - he’s refused prep courses.</p>
<p>It seems like when people do well, they take all the credit. When they do bad, they blame their teacher, dislike for the class, etc. If you do poorly, it’s nobody’s fault but your’s, except under extreme circumstances.</p>
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<p>Probably the ones who “didn’t study” and got 5 scores were the ones who were doing well in the course (no procrastinating, studying the course as needed, getting A grades in all assignments and tests, etc.) so they know the material well enough that no AP test specific studying is needed.</p>
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<p>That might not be a good formula for success in university.</p>
<p>4 in U.S history- essentially no studying, skimmed review book starting 2 days before
4 in English Language- No studying? Didn’t know how you could study lol
5 in Physics B- looked at some cheat sheets starting 2 days before test</p>
<p>The students who don’t study are obviously brighter than those who do. You can’t conclude that less studying leads to higher test grades.</p>