(June 16, 2009) — Senior Armine Barsegyan vividly remembers her junior year. It was a year filled with late night assignments, SATs, and of course, AP classes. Barsegyan is ready to wear her graduation cap and gown, BUT she will remember her first AP class as one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of her high school years. Barsegyan took the class because of her love for English, but did not expect it to benefit her as much as it did. The class made such an impact upon her that she wrote about it in her personal statement. “[Stephanie Sajjadieh] had you think in class,” Barsegyan said. “She puts philosophy in her lessons and helps you apply [them] to your own life.” Barsegyan remembers all the class discussions, demonstrations and projects she completed in her AP English class, in an effort to prepare for her first AP exam. “You don’t feel what a difference the practice makes until you actually take the test,” Barsegyan said. When the test arrived, Barsegyan had mixed feelings about it. “I wasn’t nervous because I knew my teacher prepared us well and I studied on my own,” she said, “but I obviously worried a little. It was my first AP test,” she said. Even with the excitement, Barsegyan realized that she was able to tackle the multiple choice questions in given amount of time and successfully complete all three essays. “You don’t realize how much practice helps before you actually take the test,” she said. “I was surprised at myself when I was able to focus so well and come up with my ideas for my essays quickly.” Barsegyan successfully completed her first AP exam and was excited to learn that she passed. Looking back, Barsegyan said that taking AP English for her junior year was one of the best decisions she made in high school. “It taught me how to study for AP tests, what to do and what to not do.” Her experience made her realize that she even had time left over after her exams this year to go back and check her work. “AP classes are obviously challenging,” she said. “But it made up such a large part of my high school experience that I’ll never forget.”