Starting junior year of high school, students are presented with the opportunity to take an Advanced Placement course. AP class is a high school class offered to  students who are interested in a subject and want to pursue a career in that particular area of study. Getting a five on the AP test can even get you out of introductory classes in college. However, there are students who are either not qualified to take an AP or are on the fence about taking one. There are reasons to take an AP class and reasons not to.

YES

Taking an AP in an area of study is a great way to expose yourself to the type of work you will be given in college, and to see how you fit in with that type of class. Also, people who perform academically well will be able to push themselves and be in classes with other kids who express similar interests as them. If you perform really well on the AP test, like I mentioned before, you will be able to exempt certain introductory classes in college, allowing you to go into classes in college you have more interest in.

NO

Taking an AP class is not an easy task. Lots of homework is given every night, and the material is very dense compared to an honors or CP class. The summer assignment is usually much more challenging than a summer reading assignment. Taking an AP class is stressful for many students. If you are in clubs and sports or have a job, you’re probably staying up way too late to get your homework done. Do not take an AP class to raise your GPA. You need to perform very well in an AP class, which for a lot of people can be difficult, and if you are uninterested in the subject, students have to grind out lots of unnecessary work.

I went around asking teachers, students, and parents about their own opinions as to what they think of AP classes

TEACHERS:  Kids do not know how an AP class works. I don’t think they understand what it means to take one in high school, and how it applies to them in college. Students need to be informed more about how it works.

AP classes have become every mixed, and it has brought down the level of the class. There is definitely a disparity as to who is understanding the information and who is struggling. Some kids who are struggling in an AP class could easily decide they want to have a change in a career path, which is wrong.

STUDENTS: I take AP ******* right now and I mostly took the class to help boost my GPA. I will be completely honest I have no interest in going to a ******* related field. The class is very stressful and I feel sometimes mentally inferior to some of the smarter students. There is a very big disparity between students

I have been thinking about taking an AP class next year but I am not sure. I think taking an AP class can be difficult for someone like me, but I believe the end result is good.

I have no interest in taking an AP class. I believe that some teachers think of you differently if you take an AP class, almost as if they think that person is smarter than you based on what class they take. Also, playing a sport and possibly having a job at the same time would create a lot of stress, and would limit my social life.

MY RECOMMENDATION: Take one AP class. I take an AP class right now, but I will admit I have had struggles. I have a lot of homework, and I have changed as a student in respect to how I have to always be organized and make sure I am on time. I also have been somewhat annoyed at how strict the grading is. Students put in a lot of hard work and time into this class, and I am sad to say that I firmly believe people who work hard are not being rewarded. However, I believe AP does help you prepare for college, and it does help you if you know what subject you are interested in. However, if someone is going into an AP class, be prepared to put in a lot of time and hard work, but also be willing to give up certain aspects of your life.