29th March, 2023, by Suyeon Moon(G.12)

Since I came to KISJ in grade 9, I had to choose my electives, and honors class was always a light to me. It was a chance for me to boost my GPA and I didn’t want to miss that. Filling out my timetable with the subjects that were mixed with my interests, honors, and AP was one of my small joyful moments in KISJ, but it seems like it will be different from next year.

Next year, KISJ is making lots of changes to the curriculum and the GPA system. They are getting rid of the honors classes and making more classes that students can register for. AP classes are in the process of change in KISJ as well. There are more AP classes, like environmental science, that are getting created in KISJ. Because of these changes, the GPA system is changing as well. Before, honors and AP classes had the same boost of 0.05. However, since honors classes are disappearing, AP classes themselves have a boost of 0.1. Because of this, students at KISJ are trying to register for lots of AP classes, even though that might be over their personal limit. 

Even though AP classes have lots of benefits, there are problems as well. The experts pointed out the major problem with the AP classes. He warned us by saying that the ones who have a real interest in the specific Ap classes would be a good fit, but if we push forward without the great preparation to understand the advanced knowledge, then it would be just a waste of time (“Are Ap Courses Worth the Effort?"). This is followed by the decreasing pass results. From 2010 on, as time passed, the number of global students who got less than 3 increased from 182,429 to 395,925 (Jaschik). Additionally, experts alerted that AP classes could be misused by avoiding the specific subject and listening to the advanced classes. However, they also said that without bases to stretch your knowledge, it would be hard to survive the tough advanced programs ("Learning and Understanding"). 

I don’t disagree with taking AP classes. AP classes are beneficial to earn university credit and more. However, I believe that AP shouldn’t be a method to focus on boosting your GPA and the choice should be made after carefully considering whether you really want to take this class or if other additional reasons are forcing or making you take the AP classes. Getting a high GPA is important, but school is there to bring fun to learning. Some people might say that boosting their GPA is one of the best reasons they got interested in AP, but having that kind of mindset and just enduring the process would not let you survive successfully and end with a good result.

  Work cited 

Jaschik, Scott. Study Shows Growth of AP Program, Continuing Racial Gaps, 11 Feb. 2014, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/02/11/study-shows-growth-ap-program-continuing-racial-gaps.

“Read ‘Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools’ at Nap.edu.” 10. Uses, Misuses, and Unintended Consequences of AP and IB | Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools |The National Academies Press, https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/10129/chapter/12#189.

“Are Ap Courses Worth the Effort? an Interview with Stanford Education Expert Denise Pope.” Stanford News, 22 Sept. 2016, https://news.stanford.edu/2013/04/22/advanced-placement-courses-032213/.