Registration time: What to consider when choosing to take an AP class

By Kelly Tiernan It’s class registrationt time at BHS and many of you are probably struggling to figure out what classes that you should take next year. The vast amount of choices that Branford High School offers is both a gift and a curse. With so many options how are we to decide, and a select few of you may be wondering whether you should take an AP course. Branford High School offers several AP courses, most of them for juniors and seniors. AP courses always seem daunting at first. Some may even feel as if they have a “enter at your own risk” sign. Considering this threat, many back down from the challenge. However, choosing to take an AP course is simply reasoning based. There are questions that you need to ask yourself if you are ready to face the challenge of an AP class. First, the most important question to ask yourself is: Am I willing to work hard and stay determined to succeed in this class? If your answer is no, then you should definitely not take an AP class. AP courses push students to do better and be better, and students must be able to push themselves and work hard to succeed in these classes. Like anything in life, you must work hard to achieve something. If you answered yes, then you should feel pretty confident in yourself because dedication is the largest contributor to triumph in one of these classes. Next, you should also ask yourself, will I be happy talking about this topic in depth for the next year? An interest in the topic of your choice is also crucial to AP survival. You don’t have to love the topic, or be inspired by every lesson, but life is much easier when dedication is driven by interest or even toleration. Something that varies with each AP is the level of difficulty ranging from AP Chemistry and AP Biology to AP Psychology and AP United States History. Therefore, when considering an AP class, you should also ask yourself how difficult that it will be? The easiest way to find this out is by asking students taking the class, ones that don’t constantly complain about the class, and also ask your teacher. Teachers are knowledgeable about the difficulty of different classes and are familiar with your work ethic and your level of skill. The most important thing to do when choosing to take an AP class is to understand the commitment but also see the commitment realistically. AP classes are difficult but they aren’t impossible. Students that are willing to take the time to succeed in these classes, more or less an hour of work every night, should consider these classes. Overall you need to question whether you are willing to work hard, if you like the topic, and if you have enough knowledge to succeed in that class. Good luck selecting your classes. and, if you’d like, leave us a comment about the toughest scheduling decision you have had to make at BHS.