Are AP classes being shoved down your throat?

<p>I originally posted this on the Parents discussion board...but very interested in hearing students' thoughts out there:</p>

<p>My D's high school's goal is to be number one in the state. Obviously, the way to do this is to have as many students take AP courses and AP tests. The school is already number one in the county and is very competitive. Kids who are not taking AP courses are made to feel inadequate...like Honor classes are not good enough anymore. Why do our kids have to feel like they have to take college biology in high school....instead of taking it in "college"? I remember senior year was the year for kids (who have worked hard enough to fulfill most of their high school requirement) to relax and have fun before they start college. Instead, I see my D squeeze in every minute of her senior day reading 3-4 chapters of AP Biology, answering 20 essay questions for AP Lit, studying 5 chapters for AP Calculus...all in one night after coming home at 7pm because of her ECs!!! Now, I understand that there are kids out there who are naturally gifted and should have challenging courses available to them. I just wish the schools did not put so much emphasis on these AP classes to ALL students. AP classes are not for everyone. My D is by no means highly intelligent, but she is very disciplined and works hard. However, I worry about my other kids who are "average" students. Already, in their elementary and middle schools, the large part of the class room time is to prepare them for assessment tests. So instead of teaching our kids independent and creative thinking, we teach them how to be good test takers and people pleasers. Bottomline is if students want to take AP classes, let them...but if students feel that it is not for them, then they should not feel forced to take them.</p>

<p>I welcome any thoughts on this, both from parents and students. For all students who have posted all your AP courses on CC, congratulations on all your efforts...but if you had a choice and AP courses was not a criteria for college acceptance, would you still have taken the course or waited until college and how would you have spent your extra time? Thanks!</p>

<p>Well...for what it's worth, I'm not taking any of the exams for my AP courses. The universities I'm looking at have very broad, flexible curriculums, and I'm going to take courses my first year in college that I'd love to take -- no "intro to intermidate physics" for me. College is not <em>just</em> about the major and minor...I do appreciate the somewhat few required courses I am going to have to take to broaden my education. </p>

<p>i take AP courses because I want to, its a natural continuum of my high school career--AP US History, AP Euro, AP English, and AP French are all classes that I want to take, regardless of the "AP" in front of it. I'd love to take Art History as well...although it's partly because of junior year scheduling conflicts, I will have taken no AP maths, and only AP Chemistry for science (I liked the teacher alot anyway). However, if you take the "advanced placement" out of all the titles of my classes and I'd still take them. Although I know it was definitely the case at the end of last year with the top 10 in my graduating class competing with who could take the most APs, even signing up for AP Macro which has never been taught at my school...it's so stupid and crazy sometimes.</p>

<p>YES they are.
and no, I wouldn't have taken all these AP courses if I had a "choice".
I'm currently taking three AP courses, and I know for a fact that I'd be much happier without them. But at my school, I'm still considered "inadequate" because I'm not taking the hardest AP course there is. I think it's more of a.. peer pressure + asian parents pressure = super stressed out seniors.</p>

<p>All I can think about these days is.. whoever said senior year is supposed to be easy, they lied. :(</p>

<p>HEMINGWAYISDEAD: You definitely have the right outlook on these AP classes. Good for you. I am sure you will enjoy everything your college will have to offer. I just wish high schools would focus more on instilling the same passion and interest to our high school students today instead of focusing on statistics and scores. Thanks for you input and best wishes to you!</p>

<p>Sadly, education and schooling are slowly being changed so that students will be more advanced. Even at the kindergarten and first-grade levels, there is an emphasis on preparing students so that they could be academically successful.</p>

<p>Success is, of course, highly subjective. These days, having a load of AP classes may equal success for many. A significant reason for that is students' natural competitiveness and desire to do better than their peers, and of course the need to have something to present to the colleges for admission evaluation.</p>

<p>Honestly, if AP courses was not a criteria for college acceptance, I would still want to take some AP classes, particularly English. AP courses generally consist of students who are more challenged, who actually have the desire to work rather than to fool around, and that is the learning environment I prefer to be in. :) However, AP Calculus AB is one of my current classes - if this was not a class that sort of looks impressive to colleges, I would wait until I'm in college to take it. It is safe to say that I am not doing well at all in this class, and it is pretty unfortunate and ironic that I am in a class that I am not fully ready for and therefore am suffering, just because I felt pressure to take it. Yes, I did think something along the lines of "so many people are taking this class... if I don't, that will make me look bad."</p>

<p>Also, I admit that having a course load that consists of a few AP classes gives my ego a boost. Running the risk of sounding arrogant, I consider myself an individual of higher thinking, so I would not be satisfied with just taking all regular courses.</p>

<p>Wow that's a hard situation there. School is a bit oppressive to students? Anyway, I'm taking just 3 AP classes, but agh.... it's hard for me. Maybe I'm just a horrible Quiz/Test taker, but my grades aren't good (for now) My school is # 1 in district, so yes, despite being it a public school, the environment is a very competitive one. </p>

<p>I regret taking AP Biology. Really. I don't get the stuff. While people tell me it's the easiest science of all because it's just memorization <em>lowest level of learning, but crap that</em> I just find it hard. Science was never my strength, but i don't know why i chose to take AP Bio. I have a C in that class, and very worried. I got the hardest science teacher of the Science Dept (she even said it to me "Yes, im the hardest science teacher") Her tests are unbelievably hard. Maybe it's because i have no real passion for Science. I just hate it. Blegh*..</p>

<p>I hope I can relax a bit in Senior year, but that ain't gonna happen. Gotta take more AP classes that actually INTERESTS me.</p>

<p>Oh well, that's it for now newdawn6. I'll post more later. </p>

<p>Kevster1001</p>

<p>no...un fact some teachers try to discourage you...however AP exams are shoved ....and now im realizing that a lot of them carry no credit at all...waste of $86/ exam.</p>

<p>ONEDAY: I feel your pain. When I was in high school, seniors got "Half-Day Fridays". It was so much fun!! Well if it's any comfort, I'm hoping that after juggling everything seniors have to do these days, the first year of college will be a breeze...:) GOOD LUCK... the light at the end of the tunnel is near!</p>

<p>Sure. Instead it's me doing the shoving... Seriously. No one really takes AP classes like that in my school. The counselors will try to weed out the people that they think will not pass the exam.</p>

<p>im taking 4 ap classes this year: bio, lit, calc, and gov. I would have taking literature, calculus and government if they werent ap cause i love the teachers and i like learning about history/politics, i like reading books and analyzing them, and just like solving problems lol. im not sure about bio though, i like it and all but i was burnt out after ap chem last year, if i had a choice i wouldnt have taken bio and would have rather had a lunch (which i dont have now since i am taking so many ap classes). i am also taking college accounting (accounting class that i get college credit for) because i want to learn about it since i want to major in business in college. i am too physics just because all my science teachers and guidance counselor said that i should atleast experience what it is like before i go to college. i guess that was a good decision cause i now know that i dont like physics lol anyway that is my schedule for my senior year. </p>

<p>it is going pretty good so far but id just like to say taht these classes were NOT shoved down my throat. my guidance counselor said that i should take less classes, because i wont have a lunch. my dad even told me to drop a class or two because i am overworking myself and that senior year is for relaxing. he said that i shouldnt take ap lit because it wont help me or benefit me in any way for the rest of my life so then i shouldnt waste my time with it. the only reason i wanted to take it was because i like learning about that stuff, because i am interested in it. in the end he left it up to my decision and i stayed in the class. the only not fun class i have all day is bio (because of the teacher, she is nice but she is also very arrogant/thinks she is better than everyone) and college accounting (cause none of my friends are in that class) oh and physics but i have fun in that class anyway cause i just hang out with my friends</p>