As a non AP student I have always wondered what it would be like to be in an AP class, and as intriguing as it sounds, AP stands for advanced placement, so how much harder could it be? I got that answer when I interviewed a senior AP student, Abby Black. She takes AP literature, AP environmental science, and AP government and she speaks strongly of them. AP classes “go at a quicker pace, you get material constantly, and you get treated as if you already know everything,” explains Black.
I am not in an AP class, I am an honors student taking world history honors and english honors. To me it feels very similar to a core class as most of the work deals with the same standards only slightly quicker or expanded such as an assignment with five questions in honors when the core class would get three. A core class is the foundation of a required class to graduate. Although it is nice to be in honors as you may feel a little more accomplished, it does not compare to AP. AP is much more focused on what you already know and how you handle it versus actually teaching it.
Black notes that “honors classes tend to show you the framework of how to do certain skills and spend a good amount of time on it, whereas in an AP class you’re still taught a lesson but you will mostly figure it out on your own.” Both classes usually allow you to work either by yourself or with a partner, but they mainly take notice of what you do with what you’re given.
Talking to people about how they feel when it comes to an AP class can be very controversial. Some people say they love it and some can say they hate it.
College board can tell how AP classes can earn
College board tells how AP classes can earn you college credits before even stepping on campus. Black says that “It looks good for college and you get some general college classes out of the way because you would have already taken them allowing you to spend less money.” But she also says “I’m just a teenager, so the workload isn’t fully enjoyed and you’re expected to know things at a quicker rate therefore you get criticized a lot more with loads of work.”
AP classes come with many positives alongside with the negatives, looking into the future you would see they could definitely be worth it but in the meantime, it is harder to see what you want. It all depends on what you’re looking for later on.
Handling an AP class can sometimes be a struggle because when it comes to your grade, it can be stressful.
Black explains, “One of the most challenging things about an AP is not stressing about your grade because you’re already taking it for that accelerated pace or the college background… So it is hard to think about not having an A, but not having it just means you’re working towards it.”
Stressing your grades is an easy thing to do as most people do it no matter the class, core, honors, or AP it is typical to stress a low grade. The hard part of AP grading is that you are already advanced, so that grade will not compare to the others.
As I previously stated, I am not in any AP classes but I am in honors and looking into advancing to AP next year. Due to Black knowing both the upsides and downsides she would recommend taking an AP class to someone who has never been in one.
She told me that “[she] would recommend taking an AP class if you think your work ethic follows the structure. I wouldn’t recommend taking an AP class to someone who knows that they will almost drown in it but if you think that accelerated courses and things that move at quicker paces helps you learn and that learning style helps you then I would 100% recommend taking AP classes.”
WIth this information I would definitely look into going to AP classes for my next two years in highschool. With this information Black showed all the reasons to prove taking an AP class is worth it. The fact that it could help with the financial end of college is a huge benefit for the future. Even though there are some downsides, they feel like easy obstacles to overcome in comparison to the benefits.