It’s that time of the year where all the work you did over the year is put to the test. Early May is the month where AP (Advanced Placement) tests take place. Over the summer, many students decided to take an AP class this year and did the homework to get into the class. This year, eight AP’s were offered, taught by eight different teachers: AP Calculus (Ms. Bayani), AP English Language and Composition (Mr. Jahnke), AP Spanish Language (Ms. Mendoza), AP World History (Ms. Sharpe), AP U.S. History (Mr. Highducheck), AP Government (Mr. Launius), AP Physics (Mr. Flint), and AP Biology (Mr. Ickes).

Advanced Placement classes and tests are administered by The College Board; they offer practice tests and the curriculum for the class. These classes are college-level courses, meaning the material is much more challenging than a basic high school course. Students take the classes for the entire year, both semesters, and then take the test in May. By July, students can access their accounts on the College Board and view their scores. The scoring is based on a scale of scores that range from 1-5. A score of 1-2 shows that you know some information, but it doesn’t show that you are ready for college-level curriculum; these are non-passing scores. A score between 3-5 is considered a passing grade. A score of 3 shows you are qualified and have an average amount of knowledge about the subject. A score of 4-5 shows you know a lot about the subject and are extremely ready to take college classes. Many students choose to take these difficult classes for the following benefits:

1. AP classes offer real college credit. If you get a score of 3 or higher, you can use the course credit you receive in college so you don’t have to take a class in college. Taking AP courses saves both time and money.
2. AP classes prepare you more for college-level learning. Although it is a lot of homework and studying, you learn how to manage your time with multiple assignments. The techniques you learn are very beneficial for classes that take up most of your time.
3. AP classes are weighted, so they make your GPA higher. For example, if you have a “B” in an AP class, it will be counted as an “A” in your GPA.
4. If you pass the AP test with a 4 or 5, you can change the grade of the class at the end of the semester. For instance, if you ended a semester with a “C” and got a “5” on the test, then your grade will be changed to a “B” for that semester. A score of 4 on the test allows you to upgrade one semester’s grade and a score of 5 allows you to change both semesters of that class.
5. Colleges really like when you take an AP class; it shows that you are willing to challenge yourself and it looks really good on a high school transcript. You have an advantage over other high school students when applying to competitive colleges.

AP classes have always been encouraged here at HMSA. A great number of students are taking AP classes this year and are studying endlessly for the upcoming tests. Ms. Vazquez is the AP coordinator and is working hard to make sure everything goes “smoother” and “faster” on test day. She organized a day to do “pre-administration” on the bubble sheets to save time on the actual day of the test. I asked her if she is surprised by all the people taking AP classes. She responded by saying it isn’t surprised because all HMSA students are “amazing students and it is expected that [they] would all be challenging [themselves] with college rigor courses.”

For some students, challenging themselves with AP tests is nothing new. Senior Brian Pham has taken several APs in the past and is currently taking five APs. I asked him how he felt about taking all the exams around the same time, and he said he’s “stressed out about it, for sure.” Then, I asked why he decided to take all the APs in the first place: “To save some money and time in college.” He revealed he is most nervous to take the AP Calculus test because it is the first time he was ever “struggling in math.”

I also interviewed another Senior who is also  familiar with the AP system. Senior Erick Pech has taken 9 AP classes total, 3 of them this year. He revealed that the AP system isn’t as intimidating as it seems: “I feel more confident about taking AP classes now than when I was a sophomore.” His reason for taking APs is simple. He said he wanted to “challenge [himself] more than [he] already does.”

However, some students are taking their first AP test this May. Junior Carolyn Vallado comments that she is “high key” nervous for the AP Spanish exam. She took the class because she “loves Spanish” and is preparing for the test by “listening to Spanish music and watching novellas to practice.” Despite her nerves, she said she would take more AP classes in the future.

Mr. Ickes,  AP Biology teacher, is teaching the AP class for the first time in thirteen years. He says that he loves teaching the AP course because the students are “determined to do well in the class.” Despite the large amount of papers he has to grade, he encourages his students to take advantage of the class because it is “most like college or even harder.” He believes that the “level of expectation” is the hardest aspect about APs, but at the same time, the most beneficial.

Lastly, Ms.Vazquez commented that APs are worth the struggle because they raise your self-esteem and lets you know that you are capable of challenging yourself. Her advice to those who are thinking about taking APs at HMSA is to “challenge yourself [and] go above and beyond your personal expectations [because] you will be surprised how much you can accomplish once you give yourself a chance.”

Good luck to all those taking tests in the next couple of weeks. To those who have yet to take APs, take the chance and challenge yourself to something greater.