Dionne Wong - Week 16 - Anticipating Memories


The emotion you feel after finishing an AP exam is always pretty memorable. It could be a form of relief (which is one of the more common ones), exhaustion (another common one), or even regret, as you later realize that you could’ve put a better answer to some of the questions. Nevertheless, with the ones I have finished so far, I’ve gotten used to the unusually philosophical thoughts I get afterward, despite not having too much time to process my excitement at being done with each test, because the next one is coming soon.


After I finished the AP World History test last year, I remember being insanely relieved because I had finished my first ever AP exam, preparing myself for those I would inevitably take next (this year), and I could finally relax after watching so many Heimler videos. I also remember feeling really bad for the people who had to take AP Spanish the next day. This year, however, I have to save my relief for after my last exam on Friday instead of celebrating after my first exam. 


I find myself wondering how I would feel after my last exam, and then I wonder why I am anticipating relief in the first place. After all, you can never expect to know for sure what’s going to happen in the future. Fate depends on more subtle styles of communication. In the bigger picture, though, I hope that AP tests are not the strongest memories I have in high school; instead, I look forward to looking back on the things that I am looking forward to in the present future. 


“Moments of Distraction: How Healthy Avoidance Can Be Good For You.” Hancock Health, www.hancockhealth.org/2024/02/moments-of-distraction-how-healthy-avoidance-can-be-good-for-you/




Comments

  1. Juliette Karkanen-MolaugMay 15, 2025 at 5:23 PM

    Hey Dionne! I totally understand where you are coming from with anticipating relief! With a lot of the exams I feel like I don’t even realize how exhausted I am and tired out from testing for so long on so many different topics. I remember how yesterday after Lang I didn’t even realize how stressed out I have been until I genuinely felt overwhelmed by the French work I have to do!

    I also definitely relate to the thought that hopefully AP exams will not be the most memorable part of high school. I believe that the best way to avoid that is to make so many better memories that are more emotional and even more memorable than the evil Collegeboard! I can’t even imagine what it will feel like to take our last ever AP exam and just know that we will never experience the AP wraith ever again. Maybe that is just another thing to get sad over at the end of our senior year… Maybe even one day, an AP practice exam may even feel nostalgic because of the experience of trying your hardest alongside your classmates.

    Thank you for such a thoughtful blog Dionne! I enjoyed reading it and I hope you have a great summer!

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  2. Svitra RajkumarMay 21, 2025 at 8:42 PM

    Hi Dionne! I absolutely relate to what you said about anticipating relief, especially when it comes to AP tests. This is definitely a stressful time for all of us, particularly because we are juniors and I cannot even imagine the surge of relief we will get when we are completely done with everything. However, I do think it is important to not focus too much on that feeling of relief, and instead of making that feeling your motivation we should think more about how essential what we are doing is. I often find myself rushing tasks and telling myself to “just finish it so it will be over,” instead of taking my time and completing the task thoroughly which brings temporary satisfaction, but does not help in the long run. I agree that studying takes up a lot of our time, and I too hope that my highschool memories will not be filled with thoughts about AP tests. I really liked how you wrote your blog and the timing of it was perfect. Thank you for sharing and great job!

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