(May 24, 2011) — Looking at the class schedule lists, sophomores and juniors had to recently choose which, if any, AP courses to take. Most sophomores settled with signing up for one AP course, while others hesitated to sign up for any. On the other hand, most juniors signed up for at least two AP courses. Personally, I feel that the right number of AP classes for any student is the number they can handle taking without achieving a higher stage of sleep deprivation. The right number should be based upon how many hours of sleep a student can get without having one eye look bigger than the other. According to The College Board, the organization that handles AP exams, college-level courses and exams give students a unique experience that will help them succeed in college. These AP classes are unlike basic classes offered in high school, as they allow students to earn college credit, which can help students stand out in the admissions process. Before a student is exposed to the advantages of an AP course, the student must be well prepared and devoted towards the class they will take. According to The College Board, pre-AP classes are advised in order to prepare students for the task of dealing with the increased amount of time and effort required in an AP class. Each AP course needs an additional hour of reviewing per night. With all of their other priorities, such as tending to their social lives, studies of other classes, extracurricular activities and teenage hormones, students worry that taking on AP courses can become too much for them to handle. Furthermore, if it is not possible for students to do well in regular classes, they should not take any AP classes into consideration. The worries of failing the AP exams–or worse, cringing and almost passing out from the stresses of an AP course–have intimidated and frightened students into not taking any AP classes, or made them reluctant to take as many as they please. The right number seems to vary for different students, according to counselor Karine Turdjian. For sophomores choosing their classes for junior year, the right number Is between zero and one. For juniors signing up for their senior year classes, the number varies from two to four. According to The New York Times, California boasts one of the nation’s highest percentages of public school students passing AP tests. It also states that California has seen an eight percent average growth in AP course enrollment each year. This sudden increase is due to several factors. The fact that colleges look at the number of AP classes a student has taken–and the amount of AP tests passed–makes colleges more selective. Due to this competition, students take more AP classes. The long sleepless nights, the stressful, study-filled days, and the weeks and weeks of missing out on parties are all results of taking AP classes. Taking AP classes all becomes worth it when the results of the AP exams come in the mail and you know you have taken and passed college courses in high school. What students should take into consideration is to not overload themselves, and to choose the AP classes, if any, very carefully, and according to interest.
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AP Overload
May 24, 2011