AP Classes: Are They Worth It?

There is a multitude of differences between middle school and high school, one of the biggest being the classes you are able to take. You can choose from a huge selection of elective classes such as pottery, photography, journalism, creative writing, and more. You can also choose from a couple of different levels of class as well, one of them being AP classes. 

AP classes, or Advanced Placement classes, are college-level courses and examinations offered to students at the high school level. They provide students with content and coursework similar to what you would find in a college classroom. The class culminates in an end-of-year exam administered by College Board

One of the big questions students tend to ask themselves and others before signing up for an AP class is “is it worth it?” Multiple responses from AP teachers and students taking AP seem to prove that it is.

Since AP classes are college-level courses, they do come with their difficulties and challenges, one of those being the rigor of the classes. “The rigor, the work. In the regular level classes, a lot of teachers give you time in class to do the work so that you don’t have homework. Yeah, there’s no way I can teach an AP class without homework,” responded Lisa Knappenberger, who teaches AP World History. A lot of other students agree. “The most difficult part is the extended workload,” replied senior Grace Regulinskii. Along with the extended workload is the need to comprehend harder concepts and ideas in shorter amounts of time. “The hardest part of AP classes is opening your mind to absorbing the information,” answered fellow senior Margaret Whitmer. 

Another one of the biggest difficulties would be the AP exam in May.  “I would say the most difficult part about AP is the exam,” replied Keiko Leonard, who teaches AP Chemistry and AP Physics. AP exams can last anywhere from 2 and a half to 4 hours and cover anything within the class’s curriculum. There can be various different types of questions such as Free Response Questions (FRQ), Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ), or Long Essay Questions (LEQ). They can be a daunting task, though it’s not the end of the world if you don’t pass the test. “But I still feel that even though not everybody passes the exam, I think everybody still walks out of my class feeling like they’ve learned something that’s going to prepare them for that next level, whatever that may be.” Despite the negatives of AP, they still come with many more positives. 

“I would say that the obvious benefit would be if they pass the AP exam, there is potential for college credit,” responded Mrs. Leonard. AP classes and provide a plethora of great benefits to students who take them, one of the biggest being the chance for college credit. The AP exam is scored on a scale from 1 to 5. If you score a 3 or above you have the chance to earn college credit. Whether you earn the college credit is dependent on a couple of different factors including the college/university you decide to attend and your selected major. Despite this fact, the opportunity for credit is still a huge plus because if you do receive it, it not only allows you to bypass the class in college, it also helps you save money as well. 

The next greatest benefit allocated by AP classes is a weighted grade. “If this class is challenging for you, right, and you end up getting a C for the semester, it will go into your GPA as a 3.0 instead of a 2.0. That’s the reward for taking those classes” exclaimed Mrs. Knappenberger. “If you get an A in my class, instead of going in as a 4.0, it goes in as a 5.0.” The weighted GPA can make a huge difference for a lot of students, especially those looking to be top of their class. “I think they’re worth it cause you have a better chance of being ranked higher in your class.” replied Regulinski.

There are also intrinsic other benefits that students might not think of right off the bat that comes with AP classes. “AP classes make you a better student. A lot of my kids who take AP classes are busy. They’re athletes or involved in other extracurricular activities so taking my AP class really helps teach them time management,” Mrs. Knappenberger stated. Because of the increased workload of AP classes, students are forced to really work on time management and planning out their time wisely so that they not only complete their work but also fit in time for extracurriculars and the much-needed personal time to recharge. AP classes also help improve reading skills as well. “Because of the college-level reading, it ramps up their reading level,” Knappenberger explained.

There are also benefits that come after an AP class. “You’re going to enter some classes in college and you’ll be more prepared for them because you’ve had an AP experience already whereas some others might not have.” replied Bridgett Kent who teaches AP Literature and AP English, “There are also some statistics that prove that sophomores who participated in AP classes have a higher GPA across the board at the end of their sophomore year in college.” 

If you decide to take an AP class, don’t worry you won’t be in it alone. You’ll have a lot of other people to help you along the way. 

“I usually have AP classes in the range of about 20 each, whether it be in sections of literature or in language.” Mrs. Kent said. 

“The easiest part of AP is that you are able to ask for help from like-minded people who can help you understand the material,” said Whitmer. “I like the community that is formed by all of us struggling together and helping each other.”

“I usually have two sections a year, and I usually have over 30 kids” responded Mrs. Knappenberger.

“I would say about 20 students per class this year.” Mrs. Leonard answered.

For students thinking about taking an AP class next year here’s some advice:

\“Ask for help. It’s totally okay to not understand everything that is going on.” - Mrs. Leonard

“Get some sort of planner to keep track of your work, get your work done ON TIME, and ask for help if you get confused. Not knowing what’s going on makes it loads harder to pass the class.” 

“Try it. Try it because the value is there.” - Mrs. Kent

“Talk to your classmates or teacher if you are having issues with the work and what to do, and also plan your time accordingly so you can actually get your work done.” - Grace Regulinski 

 AP can also be downright fun and interesting. 

“We can feed off all of those interests, and it results in a lot of great discussion and question that even get me thinking sometimes; I get asked questions and sometimes I don’t even know the answer,” said Mrs. Leonard “We also get to do hands-on, more in-depth and advanced experiments and investigations.” 

“I also like the mostly academic discussions that we are able to have in class,” replied Margaret Whitmer. 

Comprehensively, AP classes can provide a great experience to a student. They give their fair share of difficulties and challenges, but many more benefits and advantages to counteract them. Because of this, AP classes, overall, are worth it.

“From my experience, I definitely think that AP classes were worth it, as I had a much better experience with them than regular classes.” - Margaret Whitmer 

“Yes, they are worth it. If you’re interested, if you’re committed, if you’re willing to work, yes, absolutely.” - Mrs. Kent