Advanced placement courses are college-level curriculum and exams for high school students. In May 2017, 2.7 million HS students took nearly 5 million AP tests. Compared to regular classes, AP’s require much more time and effort due to the increased workload. Some students have been wondering if taking these types of advanced classes are worth the extra stress.

Edona Popi, a sophomore, takes AP Seminar, AP World History, and AP Chemistry. She says she took them because “I was interested, I wanted to push myself and they look good for college.”

High school students are often sleep-deprived due to hours spent on homework each night and can suffer poor performance due to the overload.

Mrs. Wiles, one of our English teachers, teaches both Junior Seminar and AP Seminar. When asked if she favors her AP Seminar classes over her Junior Seminar class, she said: “No, because they’re both so different you can’t compare the two.”

“I feel bad about the heavy workload all the time, but at the same time I’m impressed with the work that they do,” says Mrs. Wiles.

Since AP classes are more advanced and a lot more work, it would be a good idea to only take AP classes that you’re interested in. It’s much easier to push yourself to complete work when you like what you’re doing. Also, taking AP classes that you hate can ruin your high school experience from excess amounts of stress and unhappiness.

If you’re considering taking an AP, talk to your peers who are taking them for advice.

“Don’t let the work discourage you or allow you to think that you’re not good enough for it. If I’m ever stressing about getting a certain grade I just remind myself that I don’t do this for anyone else and my happiness is more important than a number in PowerSchool.” says Edona.