Every high school student goes through the stress and excitement of picking their classes during the spring. The freshmen have it easy, since their classes are pretty much picked for them for the following year except electives. Picking classes for junior and senior year is a little bit more stressful because you have to decide if you are going to go for the risk by signing up for an AP class.

AP stands for Advanced Placement and the courses prepare you for college classes and workload. Students can receive credit from AP classes by scoring a three or higher (in most cases) on the AP exam in the spring.

Here at Ipswich, there are many students involved in AP classes taught by teachers at the school and  some students even take the difficult courses online with a teacher that is in another state. There has definitely been more interest and involvement in AP courses the past few years, not only in Ipswich but throughout the nation. It is not a necessity for a student to take an AP class during their high school career. Someone really has to be willing to put in the time and effort for the course; some people just can’t make that commitment before they attend college. If you are a student who believes you can take the risk, then this article is definitely one for you to read.

Some people choose to take the advanced classes because they want to try to get some college credit; some are pushed to take them by a parent or teacher, and some just do it because it seems like a good challenge. The advanced courses are definitely run differently than a regular honors course and move at a faster pace, not allowing much time to be spent on one certain unit. This sometimes creates problems for students that might not be ready for an AP class, but teachers here at Ipswich are very good at helping their students adjust.

Some students find it very difficult not only to decide whether they are going to take an AP class but also what class to take. At Ipswich, we have AP Chemistry, Biology, Statistics, English, U.S. History, French and Calculus. Students should definitely think about the pros and cons of taking an AP class before they make the commitment.

I talked to sophomore Carli Hancock about her thoughts for next year and she has heard from her upperclassmen friends that “AP classes are very challenging and time consuming”. Both of those things are very true, and almost everyone who has taken one would say the same. This shouldn’t scare anybody off but should definitely be considered before you write it down on your course sheet in the spring. On the other end, senior Emily Brengle has loved her AP experience as she has taken four throughout her high school career. She believes that there is a lot of work but it’s a good challenge that she enjoys, “I think they’ll prepare me for classes in college and I hope that taking AP classes will make my life a little easier when I get to college as well”.

Not only are the AP courses a good experience for the students, but it’s also a good experience for the teachers. The teachers that teach the AP classes here at Ipswich love their AP students; they spend the most time with them as the students are always in the classroom, asking questions after school or during directed. Also, with the block schedule we have, you have to attend a seminar once a week during second semester. This allows the teachers and students to prepare for the AP exam in the spring.

When I asked Mrs. Werner about teaching the first AP Statistics class she has ever taught, she had nothing to say but good things, “I love teaching AP Statistics. I love the applied math content; I love the usefulness of the subject and I love spending time with the kind of student that is drawn to statistics. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my teaching career so far.” Clearly Mrs. Werner has a passion for statistics, and what could be better than spending her time teaching students who are passionate about it as well?

The number of U.S public school students who take AP classes has doubled over the past decade. With this growth, there is no doubt that it is going to continue grow not only in the nation but within our own school. Students should strive to be the best student they can be, this will allow them to have the opportunity to be a part of an AP course and challenge themselves to give them a little preview of what college classes will be like.