The AP Option
Urbana High School offers several different AP courses that students are usually encouraged to enroll in because they learn a lot more than in regular classes, and have a chance to get college credit while still in high school. The AP classes are also interesting for the students who need a challenge academically.
Urbana High School offers 13 AP classes. In English there is one class, AP literature and composition. In art there are two classes, AP studio art dimensional design and AP studio art drawing. In foreign language there are two classes, AP German and AP Spanish. In math there are also two, AP calc class AB and AP calc class BC which is a higher level than AB. In science there are three classes, AP chemistry, AP physics, and AP Biology and in history there are also three, AP U.S history, AP Economics and AP comparative government.
Students are encouraged to consider their learning styles, study habits before taking the AP classes. Also, it is advised for students to get recommendations from their teachers before taking the AP classes because their teachers would encourage and support them. The most important benefit of taking AP classes is that students get college credit if they take and pass the AP test. After all the encouragement of students to take AP classes, different students have different opinions of AP classes after enrolling in them for a couple weeks.
Some students get very stressed in the beginning of the course but afterwards, they get used to it.
“In my AP class, I am doing okay and even though the class does stress me a little since there is so much work and a lot to remember, I don’t regret taking it because you get to learn a lot and it is very fun,” said Nilay Patel, a junior who is in AP U.S history. Often students find the first couple of weeks hard and stressful, but they adjust afterwards. “At first it was hard, but after sometime, I got used to it,” said Patel.
Other students like the challenge of the AP courses and believe it is a good way to get a head start on college and feel what college is like. “I like my AP class. Even though there are some days we get a lot of work, it is all fun and good because you have the opportunity to get college credit,” said Junior Miriam Mueller, who is in AP chemistry.
Though some students find out that the AP courses have a lot of work they have to do, they still recommend that students take them. If you are considering taking AP classes, “be prepared for hard work,” said Patel. Although students find the AP classes to be hard, they believe it is worth taking it. “If you have enough time, try to take it, it can only benefit you,” said Mueller.
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