Advanced Pressure Or Advanced Pay-Off With Ap Classes?
Nearly half of Miramonte students take at least one Advanced Placement (AP) class, but not everyone agrees it’s worth it.
AP classes come with more homework, independent studying and a faster-paced curriculum. At the end of the year, there is a national standardized exam that tests students’ knowledge on the course. The test is graded 1 through 5, and to receive college credit for the course, most colleges will only accept a score of 4 or a 5.
And the original idea of AP classes was to allow high school students to get college credit before they graduated. There are a total of 42 AP courses, from history to STEM, and Miramonte offers 23, but students who get a 3 or below on the AP test most likely don’t get college credit, no matter how much work they put in.
Tests are administered from the beginning to the middle of May, which makes the weeks leading up to it stressful.
Hana Shukairy, a Miramonte senior, is nervous for her AP tests because of her other commitments.
“I’ve taken AP classes since my sophomore year, and I didn’t account for all the senior activities I’d have around this time – senior assassins, graduation parties and other school events,” she said.
Shukairy looks forward to no longer having to worry about AP classes, even though taking AP exams doesn’t fully erase students’ stress. Students don’t get their results back until July, which makes the waiting period equally tense.
Miramonte senior Reese Akel, on the other hand, is not stressed about the exam period because of her year-round study habits.
“I am not super-stressed yet because I never start studying for tests until the week before,” said Akel. “Spanish, too, is all just preparation, so I’m not very worried about it.”
Students thinking about AP classes should consider how much the workload will affect them before enrolling. While AP classes are worth it for the college credit, it’s also not necessary for all students.
If students have a lot of extracurricular activities – sports, for example – taking an AP class could hurt more than help them because AP classes weigh more on grade-point averages.
AP classes also have a standardized grading style that might not work for everyone, which is why some students prefer to get college credit through dual enrollment classes at community colleges.
So if you’re a Miramonte student thinking of taking an AP class, don’t take it just because everyone else is.
Elise Desai, a Miramonte senior, said that “advanced placement” really stands for “advanced pressure.”
“Take AP classes you’re interested in,” said Desai. “It’s not worth loading up on AP classes you’re not interested in.”