Just about every student at Liberty has signed up for an Advanced Placement (AP) class or knows someone who has. On the outside, the benefits of taking an AP seem great: standing out to colleges, earning college credit through the AP exam and a GPA boost. Despite their benefits, students can easily become flustered, and pressure can arise.
Brooke Bernard (she/her), 12, is currently taking AP Statistics and has also taken AP Human Geography. She originally signed up for an AP class, thinking it would look good on her college applications. Bernard notes that she feels AP classes move at a faster rate and can be more stressful.
“I feel like AP classes are definitely more fast-paced because there is so much more information to learn. I’m also way more stressed because my grade feels more important than any other class,” Bernard said.
The added GPA boost seems like a plus to taking these challenging classes, but it can add another layer of unnecessary stress. Peyten Van Dyke (she/her), 11, agrees with Bernard on the faster pace that comes with taking an AP class.
“We’re expected to do more work in a shorter amount of time. The work is also harder and makes you think more about things and try a lot harder,” Van Dyke said.
Van Dyke also notes the difference between teachers in standard versus AP classes.
“AP teachers expect more out of you, and that’s the difference. They expect you to get a lot more work done and just do more overall. But in regular classes, they only expect you to do what you’re assigned: the bare minimum,” Van Dyke said.
Because of students taking AP classes, others could feel pressure to take an AP class just because their friend takes it, even if they did not originally plan on taking an AP class. Bernard explains how the pressure happens from their experience.
“Almost every freshman takes AP Human Geography, or they take it as a sophomore; it feels like it is just expected to take an AP class at least once during high school,” Bernard said.
Van Dyke agrees with peers being a factor in taking AP classes, while emphasizing the pressure to look smarter at Liberty.
“It’s like if you do AP classes, people will think you’re smarter or challenging yourself more. Or if your friends take AP classes, it’s almost like you want to do them too, because you think you need to take them to be smart and excel more in school.” Van Dyke said.
The pressure partly stems from students wanting to be prepared for college. AP classes are designed to operate like a typical college class while also giving students an opportunity to earn college credit. Not all students feel that AP classes prepare students adequately.
“I really don’t think they prepare me for actual college classes; it’s more about just getting the credits for college,” Bernard said.
Because of the challenging coursework and homework, it can be hard to manage AP classwork with other extracurriculars.
“I don’t have a lot of extra time to do a ton of homework because of dance and other responsibilities. It can be really hard to keep up with AP homework. I try to do homework whenever I have time.” Bernard said.
Van Dyke agrees with having scarce extra time and explains the sacrifices she has made in order to succeed in AP classes.
“It’s very stressful when you’re in sports or have other things going on, especially if you’re trying to work ahead. I really have to focus when I’m done with practice and I have to give up other things. I can’t watch TV or be on my phone and waste any time. I just have to immediately start my homework.” Van Dyke said.
Even with the struggles of taking AP classes, Bernard feels like it was worth it.
“If I could go back, I would still take AP classes because they help get credits, not because they help prepare for actual college classes.” Bernard said.
Bernard gives advice to students taking their first AP class.
“Make sure to always be caught up with homework, and make sure you really understand what you are doing,” Bernard said.
Because of all the challenging coursework and a fast-paced learning environment, some students notice a difference in academics after taking an AP class. Van Dyke notes on her experience and urges everyone to try out an AP class.
“Taking an AP class has really helped my attention span and ability to work harder in school. I feel like it’s worth it for everyone to take an AP class; find a class that actually interests you and work hard,” Van Dyke said.
