As we’ve reached the halfway point of the school year, I’ve seen the number of students in my advanced classes declining. Seeing how many students have dropped these classes halfway through and as we near registration for next year, we ponder the question if AP classes are worth the work put into them. AP classes, in the long run, are beneficial to students. They offer Park students more preparation for life after high school and provide students with a more rigorous opportunity to challenge themselves in their subjects.

The big benefit students hear when considering AP courses rather than standard classes is the ability to get college credit after taking the AP exam in May. This is a big bonus of these classes, especially if you get the result from the test you hoped for and are shown the work you put into it. Most colleges take credit from AP exam scores of three, four and five depending on the school a student is looking at. This inclined me to take AP classes as an underclassman because it gave me a head start on getting some credits for college that would be expensive and harder to get after high school. While the AP exam can be difficult and stressful, gaining credit after you put the work in is very rewarding and will help out in the long run.

On the topic of college, taking these classes shows universities that you’ve pushed yourself and tried the harder, higher-level classes in high school. Although your grade may not come out as perfect and you may not maintain a perfect A all year, the colleges you apply to will be impressed that you opted to take a harder class. It shows universities that you’re ready to take on challenges and are comfortable pushing yourself, even if it means not being perfect all year. These classes will also help you prepare for harder classes after high school and show a similar learning style to college.

My experience with AP courses at Park has helped me acquire study skills that I’ve carried with me into other classes. These more demanding courses may take more time at home, but they’ve helped me learn how to manage my time and prioritize school—even when I am not in class. I’ve learned more about problem-solving, meeting deadlines, asking for help from my teachers and what study methods work best for me from AP classes than any other classes. My AP classes have taught me how to think critically and learn on my own, not just depending on the work my friends are doing or what the teacher is lecturing, because it requires more independent work and study. 

Park’s curriculum offers a wide variety of AP courses across different subjects in school. Students can pick which subject interests them most and they can explore their interests in greater depth with the faster-paced and more challenging classes. For example, 10th graders are offered the option between AP European History and AP World History, allowing them to choose which area of history best fits their interests in social studies. Whatever class they pick can help accommodate their preferred subject while still offering a challenging course and requiring more work and effort put in by the students to keep up with the class. More variety in classes and subjects lets students explore their interests and find out what they might be interested in studying later on after high school.

Although AP classes can be stressful and feel like a lot of work, in the long run, they are very beneficial and help students throughout school. Everyone should take an AP class sometime during high school to learn new skills on how to study, push themselves to do more work for a class and go in-depth about something that interests them. 

With the first half of the school year done, students are midway through their AP courses. Soon, it will be AP test time and there is so much stress that comes with it. AP classes, while often talked about as beneficial for students, also have some significant drawbacks. With the many things that high schoolers already have in their day-to-day lives, harder courses can add more stress and cause burnout from an intense workload that can lead to a decline in a student’s overall learning ability and mental health. 

The main disadvantage of taking AP classes is the stress that comes with it. While taking AP classes is optional, students may feel pressured into taking them due to what their friends or other classmates are doing. This can cause students to be surprised at the heavy workload, especially if they don’t know how to prioritize certain assignments. With AP classes, you mustn’t procrastinate your work as it will start to build up and you will fall far behind. Students already have other things in their lives like sports, work, family events and general work from other classes. With everything piling up on their plates, students tend to get overwhelmed and not know how to do everything at once. The stress that comes with these college-level classes can negatively impact students’ mental health and overall academic performance. 

The pressure to constantly perform at a high level can be overwhelming and can take away from the other important things in students’ lives. In my point of view, high school should be a time when you prioritize school, but still have fun and be social. Having fun should be a priority, which is hard when you are taking difficult classes. I have often found myself turning down invitations to hang out with friends or do something with my family because of the work I need to do for my AP classes, and if I were to say yes to these plans I would either fall behind or stay up super late doing my work. As a result of things like this, students may feel more isolated and miss out on opportunities to build friendships and be social, which is important for a well-rounded high school experience. 

Another disadvantage to taking AP classes is that not all colleges accept AP credits or accept AP test scores of three. This means all the work that goes into preparing for your test, staying up late to complete homework and missing out on social opportunities is for nothing. This is a major disadvantage to students who have tried so hard in their classes just to not make it count. Most times, a three on an AP test is passing, but it could be a huge disappointment to any student who applies to a college and sees their score doesn’t count because the college does not accept it. 

AP classes are more challenging because that’s what you’re signing up for. This also means you certainly have a heavier workload that can be very time-consuming. Even if you are on top of your work, it will still be hard to maintain the work in all of your classes. In my AP classes, not only is there lots of work but it takes a long time, so even if I start my work as soon as I get home, two hours could fly by and I could be only halfway through my work in one class. Another drawback to AP classes is the tests that are scheduled very poorly. I know a few people who have two AP tests on the same day, which is a major downside because just one test uses so much brain power. In addition, studying for AP tests and the anxiety that comes with them can often be too much for many students. 

Although there are certainly many advantages to taking AP classes, there are many disadvantages that are not talked about enough. While they may be helpful in the long run, throughout high school these hard and sometimes overly challenging classes can often be too much for students and take away opportunities in their day-to-day lives.