With end of the year freedom almost here for many Bruins, many have to get through the upcoming two weeks of AP exam testing beginning May 2. This means that students in AP classes may have found themselves scheduled into compulsory preparation FLEX times.

FLEX time is a short, 40 minute period after the first class of the day that students schedule every Monday what to take for it. Classes to choose from include fun extracurriculars, quiet homework rooms, and the dreaded forced make-up ones that the teachers schedule. This last type is what the AP test prep FLEXs have been.

AP teacher Jeremy Kerr promoted the benefits these study times were.

“It’s a place where we can have students review content that they may have forgotten over the course of this year. Building up on the material before taking the monster exam,” Kerr said.

Although a great opportunity to freshen up on skills, students really wish they could choose to still take their enrichment FLEX times.

Senior Sarah Holden was one that missed her previous schedule.

“I appreciate the sentiment but they are disruptive to the FLEX times I have come to know and enjoy, like board games on Thursday,” Holden said. “I would prefer they were not compulsory.” 

Senior Rowan Knox felt that AP class time could be used in a way that rescheduling FLEX was not necessary.

“[The changes] are alright,” Knox said. “I think I’d prefer more AP prep in the class periods instead of a flex time. Flex times often serve to complete work from other classes.”

But not all AP students have had their periods changed.

AP calculus student, Dominic Hartman, has not had one of his FLEXs dedicated to the course, much like fellow classmate Knox.

“I think it just depends on how ready for the exam teachers feel their students are,” Hartman said. “Also, some classes just can’t cover all the topics they need in the short time we have in FLEX, so that is a reason why some teachers haven’t made their students take an extra study one for their class.”

Holden left a few critiques.

“I feel like some classes do much better than others,” Holden said. “AP Literature was very good about preparation whereas AP Spanish hasn’t touched it at all. I can’t say much about AP Gov. and AP Comp. Sci. A because I’m not sitting in the class, but MacD has been much better at giving me the extra stuff I need. I think AP prep might fit better as an optional flex or maybe something you could go to during lunch.”

Knox noted how all the exams left her feeling.

“I will probably get some college credit but it is a stressful time. I feel decently prepared,” said Knox.