By Kaitlyn Whiteman, Clarion Staff Reporter
Why do some students take Advanced Placement (AP) classes while others don’t? There are many things to consider when debating taking AP classes, and this article will review some advantages and disadvantages of taking an advanced placement course.
To some, AP classes may be scary, but they can aid students in the future. AP classes have a lot of perks to them; for example, AP classes can help students build skills, confidence, and good study habits that can aid their studies in college. All the work that students do in the AP class, prepares people for the rigors of college work, which can help when applying for colleges in the future.
AP classes may increase the chances of graduating earlier, but it is not definite. These classes also have the potential to skip introductory college classes, which can save tuition money.
Students with AP classes on their transcript can impress financial aid officers by showing the students' dedication to their own education and their willingness to challenge themselves—this often translates into a student receiving more financial aid to pay for college.
Even teachers know that these classes will help.
AP Calculus AB/BC teacher Jennifer Manzano-Tackett stated, “I feel that the advantages of taking AP classes are to have the opportunity to get a head-start on one’s chosen path of study in the future. It also allows a student to immerse themselves in college-level curriculum to either continue to pique their interest in the subject matter, or sometimes rather to refine what subject matter they want to pursue in higher education.”
AP Chemistry teacher Andrea Horgan agrees, stating that AP courses themselves are competitive with students across schools, and prepare students for the content, grading, and rigor of college-type classes.
Taking an AP course, Horgan says, “teaches grit, resilience, and work ethic. Students who are used to getting A’s on everything are all of a sudden faced with not getting A’s. AP classes teach you how you learn best. You have no choice but to figure out how to study.”
AP Studio Art teacher Benjamin Teweles said that, “I do like that these classes are more closely related to our purpose of crediting college ready students. It is important for students to get some of that independent expectation and higher critical thinking skills before leaving school.”
“My class specifically,” he continued, “I like that students begin to think and express independent thought.”
Some may look at AP classes as a chance to get college credit for a class, while others might be looking for a challenge instead of a standard college-prep class, so they decide to take AP.
There are also reasons why students shouldn’t consider an AP class.
AP classes may sound like a good idea at first, but they can be more labor-intensive and require more hours and deeper understanding of subjects and coursework.
If a student ends up missing school for a day or more, it can be incredibly difficult to catch up. Taking an AP class doesn’t always lead to getting college credit; many selective colleges do not accept AP credits; no credit is awarded, and no college tuition is offset or saved.
The workload can be a lot as well, with more than 1 hour of work and homework over the weekends and projects, it may be difficult to manage time and create free time. The exam itself can ignite undue or excessive stress for students, and students can experience burnout from prep time and studying.
People may also think, “Oh, teachers are going to advocate for AP classes and say that they are good for you.” Manzano said, “the negative effects of AP classes are when students take too many AP classes simultaneously for the purpose of competing for college entry.”
Horgan also stated that classes are hard “with lots of work, stressful and can be difficult to manage your time if you are taking more than one AP class.”
Teweles added, “I don’t like how many kids only take AP for the grade bump and don’t put any effort into the test. I also don’t think that colleges accept enough hard work some of our students put into these AP classes. This can be awkward because students may become passionate about other things as their post education grows.”
Some students take APs because they think that they HAVE to, and not because they WANT to take those classes. This practice can be detrimental to students' mental health. Students should take the classes that will aid them in the future, and might find them interesting.
There are many reasons why students should and why they shouldn’t take AP classes. This may help in your decision, or it might not. It all depends on the student's own choice on wanting to take AP classes or not, because, yes they will be difficult, yes the workload will be a lot, but it can massively aid many students in the future. Whether it be college credit or already having prior knowledge of the class. Just remember that the decision to take an AP class should be left to the student.
Sources:
https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/what-is-ap (no author listed)
https://www.teenlife.com/blog/benefits-ap-classes/ By: Jonathan Kindall
https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-are-ap-classes-and-why-should-you-take-them By: Halle Edwards
https://www.studypoint.com/ed/ap-classes/#:~:text=A%20student%20who%20plays%20sports,his%20or%20her%20overall%20GPA. (no author listed)
https://gouspa.org/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-what-to-know-about-advanced-placement/ By: Julie Glusker, Director of College Counseling
https://www.shortform.com/blog/are-ap-classes-worth-it/ By: Emily Kitazawa
https://www.mefa.org/blog/to-take-an-ap-class-or-not-to-take-an-ap-classthat-is-the-question By: Erin Baffuto, High School Counselor, Quaboag Regional School District
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