APs for everyone

By Justin Guo

Whenever underclassmen show up in AP classes, especially some of the more “hardcore” classes like APUSH or AP Mechanics, upperclassmen often see them like exotic animals. “Wow, why are you taking an AP your sophomore year?” or “Go have fun with your time; you’re only a sophomore” are common reactions. While I believe that sophomores really shouldn’t be taking three or four AP classes, we should start to encourage more underclassmen to dip their toes into the AP curricula before junior year comes along. Among the student body, the anti-AP mentality may come from a fear of competition or an image of nerdiness. Let’s be honest, it never feels good to see that 10th grader sitting behind you get 20% higher on a Mechanics test. Anti-AP sentiment may even stem from the administration and the way courses are run in freshman and sophomore year. Unless summer school is an option, students are often restricted to the “biology then chemistry, African Asian studies then Western Civilization” course structure. It’s only in junior year that the more popular science, math, and history electives are recommended. There are plenty of great classes that sophomores can take such as AP Statistics, but, going into sophomore year, my counselor didn’t even mention the word AP until she realized I had already taken chemistry freshman year.

In 10th grade, I took AP Chemistry. It’s become one of the most rewarding choices I’ve made in high school. Oftentimes, students come into junior year with a schedule loaded with hard classes. Suddenly having the workload of three or four APs becomes a huge shock to many. When I started AP Chemistry last year, I didn’t know what awaited me. Freshman year constituted bare minimum work ethic and video gaming. Sophomore year started similarly. I procrastinated my homework and hopped on to Call of Duty immediately after school. But then my Chemistry grade went down. At first, I saw a C on my Reaction Types test. I had initially brushed it off, blaming my “sickness” for the poor grade. Then came almost a D in Stoichiometry and an F in Periodicity. The next quarter wasn’t much better. It was only until just about now in the school year last year that I realized that my grade could only be salvaged if I actually treated AP Chemistry like an AP class. I got the grade I wanted, in the end. But, with the grade came a newfound work ethic that I couldn’t find in my other subjects: one tailored for an AP class.

My junior year classes, therefore, came with at least a certain level of comfort. I walked in the first day knowing exactly what I needed to do to have as much of a stress free semester as possible. An early dip into AP classes is extremely helpful in learning to juggle work and stress, because, with a good work ethic, making time for playing video games or hanging out with friends becomes easier. There are huge benefits to trying out an AP class earlier on in high school. Students will get a sense of the level they have to work for success, develop a solid work ethic, and, more importantly, learn on a depth most other classes can’t offer. People often need a certain amount of “practice” with an AP class to feel comfortable with the work and be able to manage their time well. Sometimes people never feel comfortable with the work. Junior year isn’t the time to start logging that “practice” time. Junior year will certainly have its stressful times, but encouraging underclassmen to try these classes out will lead to a less stressful and more successful junior year, because underclassmen will have learned what time management and study strategies work for them in a fast paced class.

#opinion