It is now that time of year when freshmen, sophomores, and juniors decide which classes they are taking next year. Many must ask themselves: are AP (Advanced Placement) classes worth taking? Should I take APs over electives? It is true that some APs are electives, but are APs or electives more popular?
Several students have said that there are many popular electives, but the ones they found to be the most popular are in the art and music programs. Among some of the most popular electives at East are studio in photography, studio art, band, orchestra, and chorus. Students take these classes since they need the credit, and because it’s a great way to be creative and express themselves. Forensics and Digital Drawing for Production are two other popular electives. Many students are taking DDP because it not only gives them the opportunity to take other classes, but it counts as their art credit, as well. DDP, like other classes, is a prerequisite for other courses in the same field that students can take in later years should they wish to delve deeper into similar studies.
Students who are interested in getting a job in the medical field should consider taking electives like Forensics or Bio Technology that apply to their interests.
Foreign language is another area where students get strategic while planning their schedules. Many students have decided to take Latin instead of Spanish and French. Several students have decided to take both. Some students switched to Latin because they lost interest in the second language they were taking in middle school. “It seemed interesting and it helps you with your SATs” said Maria Bigos. Students like Maria may be interested in taking Latin to aid their prep for the SATs because it familiarizes them with the roots of a lot of English words, which can make them more successful in the Critical Reading section of the SAT in which vocabulary is tested.
Not only are there several popular electives, but there are also AP classes students find worth taking. “I think it’s worth taking AP classes if they offer ones you’re interested in because they help you with class rank, and they look good when you’re applying for college,” said freshman Maria Bigos. Some people prefer taking AP classes while others prefer electives.
If students decide not to take AP classes, they usually decide to take electives that have to do what they are interested in. There are also many students who don’t know what they are interested in, or what they want to go to college for. If you don’t know what you’re interested in, how do you decide which electives and AP classes to take? “Take a variety of different classes in different areas of interest,” said Caroline Schnabel. Other students have said to take a class that is different from what you are used to.
Other important questions would be what AP’s did you chose to take and why? It seemed that the majority of seniors were interested in the classes they decided to take, and maybe even wanted to challenge themselves. For instance, one took AP Psychology, AP Calc(Calculus AB), AP Lang (English Language), and AP US (US History) because some of them she liked, and others she thought would be a challenge.” Another said, “I took AP US, AP Lang, AP Gov(US Government and Politics), AP Euro(European History), and Calc AB. I was good at history and government in middle school, and I took Lang because I wasn’t interested in 10-12.”
One sophomore is interested in taking AP Biology because at this point she is really interested in Biology, and wants to work with animals when she is in college. Based on the discussion with a group of seniors, it seems that the majority of them are focusing on AP’s.
Most interviewed freshmen are planning on taking APs in the future. Based on the fact that some APs are electives, and the opinions of students above, APs seem to be thriving with the interest of students.
There are many students who are taking many AP’s at one time for different reasons, and there are also students who are planning on taking APs in the next few years.
So what is important when considering courses? It seems that students are choosing courses based on their interests. There are many students who are unsure of what they want to go to college for and what classes to take, those are the students who may want to try different classes to see if they can figure out what they are interested in. Current freshman Caroline Schnabel says, “The most important thing is first if all, completing all your credits, then go with whatever you find interesting.” Not only are students focusing on taking classes they are interested in, but fulfilling the classes that are required.
Overall, students have many different opinions, and what courses they choose are based on what they think is best for them or what they are interested in. When asked about the AP/elective issue, Schnabel didn’t have a definitive answer. “Students should take both because electives are more fun and less stressful than normal classes, and AP’s can help you prepare a little more for what college is like.”
There is a wide variety of classes, so even if a student does not know what he or she wants to go to college for, they can at least chose different classes that they find interesting.
