It’s the second semester and AP students and teachers are on the clock for the exam once again. A year’s worth of content fit into three months of instruction.

“We’re not able to do some of the simulations because we have to fit lots of things into a short amount of time,” AP Government teacher Dennis Pascoe said. “It’s more lecturing and making sure all of the information is given to the students.”

Teachers are not the only ones feeling the effects of the shortened schedule. AP Government student Patrick Sullivan ‘18 is only 30 days away from taking the exam and he is very aware of it.

“I’m not even sure it’s possible to get through all the information,” Sullivan said. “We have about a month and we have only gotten through two units. The first semester kids definitely had much more time, and can learn it more in depth.”

Another student has seen both sides of the picture. Sarah Cauvel ’18 took AP Microeconomics first semester and is now taking AP Government second semester.

“It is a major difference without a doubt,” Cauvel said. “The first semester in Micro we were able to do lots of activities and didn’t have to rush that many tests in. Now in AP Gov, it’s pretty much lecturing every class and we rarely have time for activities.”

Although there are many disadvantages to having AP classes second semester, there are a few advantages as well. Students that have AP classes first semester will have to relearn forgotten material whereas second semester students will have the information fresh in their head for the test in May.

“If you make it all first semester then kids will go a whole semester without information,” Pascoe said. “Either way you go there will be some problems with it.”

This is still an ongoing issue at many schools around the state. Some school have made AP Government, for example, a full year class to combat the conflict.

“The whole experience of a second Semester AP student is hard, but i guess it has to happen,” Cauvel said.