The January weather took Wake County by surprise with multiple days of snow that left the roads in no condition for the buses to drive to school in. That gave the students of PC two much appreciated snow days on the 22nd and 23rd. 

While two days off may not seem like a lot, their timing at the very beginning of second semester may have adversely affected the timing for a lot of classes, especially APs. 

Because AP exams are at the tail end of second semester, teachers have less time to teach all of the curriculum requirements before the exam itself. This usually leads to teachers increasing the speed at which they teach the material and planning out every single day of the semester so as not to fall behind and give their second semester students a disadvantage come exam day. 

However, those snow days effectively pushed back the schedule by two days, which may seem like not a big deal, but can throw off the pacing of an AP class dramatically as their agendas are usually planned to perfection. So while the students and staff alike may have enjoyed an extra two days off from the beginning of second semester, those taking AP classes have already started to feel the repercussions of that extended break. 

One particular class that students have said has felt rushed is AP Pre-Calculus. When asked which AP exam they felt the least prepared for, three students interviewed responded with Pre-Calc. Valeria, a junior, said “We don’t have that much time to go over stuff.” For a class where the concept understanding and application are necessary for success, it is no surprise that students are feeling the pressure.

From students’ perspective, it seems that teachers are also feeling rushed in the lessened class days. A Junior, Niah, responded, “I feel like teachers are trying to hurry up and get caught up on units.” She also further elaborated that it feels “stressful” to try to keep up.

This issue is no fault of the students or staff in these AP classes. All students interviewed are well practiced with AP classes and experienced in the demanding curricula. However, they all admitted to having felt stress under the shortened timeline this school year. 

Hopefully, with review sessions led by AP teachers and outside practice at home, those two days lost from the snow days won’t have too large an effect on students’ performance this coming May.