It’s a tale as old as time — the consensus is that an AP class is “easier ” than typically expected, and everyone signs up for it as a GPA booster or a schedule filler. While a minority might genuinely find the class easy, the masses receive the news of a new cheat code for getting the highest GPA possible, but it’s all an illusion. Often when people discuss these classes, they just call them an easy A without discussing any of the details. When the amount of homework or type of coursework isn’t mentioned, students may feel misled.
One factor in taking an AP course is whether or not it covers the same content as a lower-level class. If a class isn’t similar to the on-level or honors version of the subject students enjoy, the specificity and rigor may be too much to handle. Due to the pressure to ride out difficult classes, students may not drop the class, even when there are clear indicators they should. “I actually thought it would be a lot like honors bio, like straight memorization, but there’s actually a lot more to it. It’s really humbling,” junior and AP Environmental Science student Anthony Hall said.
Students may choose to take the easy way out and cheat through the class. In the long run, this can be detrimental, as the looming exam means that students aren’t prepared if they don’t master the course material. The pressure has always been on for students to succeed at school. Although this isn’t a new concept, students are seemingly more stressed than ever, whether it be due to false expectations or overestimating time management capabilities. “It’s just like assignment after assignment, which I think gets really overwhelming, which is why a lot of people think it’s more difficult than they expected it to be,” junior and AP Psychology student Sarah Magazine said.
Although teachers may say courses are rigorous to prepare students fully for the exam, this is often an excuse to be harsh for no reason. Teachers can make students feel assured in their skills without having to be stingy with grades. Indeed, the culture surrounding the pressure to take numerous higher-level classes is mostly to blame, but adults also need to ensure students aren’t going to extreme lengths to achieve the ideal GPA. “Teachers need to support their students more, especially when they give out work close to quarter deadlines. It was really overwhelming at the end of quarter one because of how many deadlines there were, coupled with college applications being due,” senior and AP Physics C student Anton Obolensky said.
With seemingly only one way to get to college and only so much time, the average student is left feeling inadequate compared to everyone else who seems to cope just fine with a hefty schedule. Combined with the competitive nature of this school, students realize they might have bitten off more than they can chew a little too late for them to do anything about it. To prevent this from happening, students should evaluate their strengths before committing to an AP class. Until students feel comfortable going at their own pace, AP classes will continue to have a reputation of being easy when they may not be for most.
