Sarah Fee ‘26
Many students think that the best way to get into college is to take an AP course. As a result, students sign up for a myriad of AP classes, put their heads down, and study, hoping for the best. Typically this leads to a negative outcome. On the other hand, students who take these classes because they enjoy the subject tend to thrive and retain more information.
An efficient way to thrive in an AP class is to truly like the subject. The passion and love that a student can have for a class might mean that the student will put more effort into understanding and retaining the information being taught.
Sophomore Carmen Ashworth is currently taking AP European History to maintain her love for history. “I put in a ton of effort,” she said. “Most of my priority is AP Euro.”
She said this effort was well worth the time invested. She is “proud of my grades but they take a lot of time and effort to sustain.” She thinks the course is a good fit “given how much I love to learn history.”
In contrast, another AP Euro student said he takes APs “for college and some because they’re fun.” He said that he puts about 50% effort into the work and sometimes more when needed.
“I retain the amount of information needed to get a good grade,” he said.
AP teachers use many tactics to help students retain information. Mr. Seidman, an AP Language and AP Psychology teacher, said that he integrates “interleaving and spacing” problems for students before class, which consist of topics students have learned one week, two weeks, one month, and two months prior.
Mr. Seidman did say that the effectiveness of these tools depends partially on the student.
“I would guess that if students did it more, then it would work,” he said. If students practice reviewing problems outside of class time, they are most likely to learn more and feel more comfortable in the class.
Mr. Glenn Whitman, US History teacher and Executive Director of the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning, said “If you are doing it for college vs. embracing the challenge,” you might struggle more. In other words, loving the subject helps you as a student, so love it.
If you are taking a non-AP course, and you feel compelled to take one for the credit, be aware that colleges know the difficulty level of the classes.
Mr. Kosasky, the Head of School, said, “When we speak to colleges, the college is clear that when the student takes honors or advanced course that is not labeled as an AP class, they know it’s the same intensity.”
Take the class because you love the subject. It is the best course because it will challenge you intellectually and match your capabilities.
Photograph via Badge List