Approximately three-quarters of the way into both my sophomore and junior years in high school, I was faced with a really difficult decision. At Empire, we choose our classes for the upcoming academic year in March, and for a lot of my friends and I, we had to decide whether we were going to choose to enroll in Advanced Placement classes.

Because all of us had been taking honors classes since freshman year, it seemed like a given that we would take AP classes. I, for one, enrolled in the ones that my schedule would allow automatically.

However, soon after my junior year started, I realized that I had made a serious mistake. Choosing to take AP classes is a decision that requires a whole lot more thought than I put into it.

My junior year, I chose to take AP Literature and AP Biology. I was really sure that I wanted to take AP Lit because I’ve always loved English; it is my strongest subject. AP biology, on the other hand, ended up being a crash-and-burn disaster.

Sophomore year, I figured that I was okay at biology, so I signed up for the corresponding AP class. Looking back now, I have realized that it is probably best to only sign up for AP classes in subjects that you know you are really strong in.

The pace of AP classes is a lot faster than the average honors class. Every student should consider whether they already have enough background knowledge in the subject prior to taking the class –– especially in heavy content classes like biology, chemistry, calculus or physics –– because it’s really hard to learn the material for the first time when you’re moving through units so fast.

I struggled to get the hang of photosynthesis, and when I finally thought I understand it a little, we had a test (which I usually did not do so well on), and immediately moved on to the next unit: genetics. This pattern repeated itself throughout the year, without fail.

In contrast, my year in AP Lit was a breeze. Since I was already very good at English and grasped the subject, I understood the material quickly and easily. My grade in AP Lit never slipped below a 95, while my grade in AP Biology hovered around a C. I learned a lot more through AP Lit and was thoroughly prepared for the test because I actually understood the material.

When May came around, I ended up getting four out of five points on my AP Lit exam. I earned one point on my AP Biology exam.

I studied very hard for both, but the difference was that I had a true understanding of the subject matter in AP Lit. Every minute of AP Biology was a constant migraine-inducing struggle. Something in my brain just didn’t click with science.

I learned my lesson in March of junior year, when it was time for me to sign up for senior year’s classes. I opted out of AP Calculus and any other AP science or math classes, and stuck with AP Language and Government –– two subjects that I knew without a doubt that I had a great understanding of and high aptitude for.

I have some friends who signed up for AP Calculus just because they took PreCal (even though they got B’s and C’s and barely passed the course). Those friends are the ones who are failing every test and struggling through every class period, unable to catch up and understand the material.

My experiences with AP classes have taught me all the reasons not to take an AP class. Don’t take one just because you want the AP credit to drive up your GPA.

Don’t take one just because all of your friends are taking it too. If you’re the one who’s not that great at biology and all of your friends are fabulous at it, you’re the one who’s going to regret it. Don’t feel like you have to take one just because you took the corresponding honors class.

Take an AP class if, and only if, you strongly believe that you’re good at the subject and you stand a good chance of passing the final exam. Also, you have to be prepared to put in a lot of extra time and effort studying for it. Keep that in mind if you sign up for more than one AP class, because each will involve extensive time outside of school for preparation.

AP classes can be a wonderful and beneficial opportunity for those who are prepared to handle the rigorous schedule and workload. However, the choice of whether to enroll in one, or which subjects to take, is a decision that should not be taken lightly.

Anushka Mohideen
Senior
Empire High School