By Vivian Rice
AP. It sounds terrifying, and you’re right, they are. AP classes are aimed to prepare students for higher education, so naturally, they’re the hardest classes to face in high school. So why take them? The simple answer is that they look good on the transcript, but as a student, they introduce you to learning how to deal with challenging concepts and develop critical thinking and academic skills. Still seems daunting? As a Senior, trust me, I’ve been there, so I’m here to offer some insight on some of SGA’s AP courses from a student’s perspective.
AP English Language and Composition-This AP class teaches how to critically analyze the English language to real-life use. Mrs. James teaches AP style extremely efficiently, and though there are a ton of timed handwritten essays, Mrs. James teaches how to effectively write them. Sure, sometimes the homework seems a bit tedious, but it’s worth the work.
AP English Literature and Composition- Similar to AP Lang, AP Lit instructs students on analyzing language to apply it to literary techniques and comprehension. It’s a great class by Mrs. James and arguably more discussion-based, and with good classmates, it’s quite fun. If you thought you’d be done with essays in AP Lang, think again; they come back in AP Lit.
AP Human Geography- I actually didn’t take this class, but many of my friends did and they provided feedback. Human geography, simply speaking, is exploring patterns of human migration, population, and usage of the earth. It is AP and not an easy class, a ton of note-taking is required, and the tests can be rough. However, Mrs. Cooper is one of the best teachers and will help you learn and understand the material as best she can.
Pre Calculus- Yes, not an AP class, but it’s about as hard as one. This is one of the two hardest math classes at SGA–just putting it out there. If you plan on going into STEM, better suck it up and take it. It’s challenging but survivable; Mrs. Brothers answers lots of homework questions and is a great encourager throughout the year. For the best chance of getting an A, find study buddies and maybe a tissue box for the harder days.
AP Calculus- It’s debatable if AP Calc is easier than pre-calculus. Calculus is more about concepts rather than hardcore math. As Mrs. Allen says, “Understand the calculus,” and the concepts aren’t strenuous to understand. Don’t be fooled, the hardest part is applying algebra and trig to calculus, so try to understand the material BEFORE the tests.
AP Chemistry- The pros? Mrs. Strine is one of the sweetest, most creative, and helpful teachers ever; plus, the labs are fun to do. The cons: there’s a ton of memorization involved and the material can be extremely confusing a lot of the time. But it’s AP, so unfortunately that’s to be expected. A tip: Watch the AP classroom videos; they may seem boring (and they are), but they saved me before the AP exam.
AP Physics- Another class I didn’t have the guts to take, I will blatantly admit, but this information is presented to you by someone who did indeed survive it. Physics is very applicable to life, the labs are fun, and honestly, it’s always rewarding when you figure out the math. Be warned, there’s a lot of self-teaching (same as AP Chem), and to quote Anna Yount, the class is “dummy hard.” Take it as a challenge for the inquisitive mind.
AP Computer Science Principles- Computer tech-savvy students, here’s the class to shine. As reported by another student in the class, the workload isn’t bad, until it’s cram time for the exam. It’s useful for the real world and applicable to real problems and actually one of the easier AP classes.
There’s one more AP class at SGA, AP Psychology, but I didn’t take it so I can’t give any commentary. To wrap things up, one of the benefits of AP classes is it gives an extra .5 boost on your GPA just for taking the AP class. If you get a 3, 4, or a 5 on the exam, it will count for college credit, and it’s good for college preparation. One more upside? In banding together to survive your AP classes, you might meet the best of your friends there like I did.
Best of luck!
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