By Valentina Omotosho .O. ('23)

Through the course of many students' years at the high school, a term they are guaranteed to come across is AP classes, otherwise known as Advanced Placement. Quick background info on the program; initially, it was developed and introduced to high schools to prepare students for college and postgraduate study. Thereby, indicating that students were presumed to take the course if it benefited the line of study they hoped to pursue in college. Through the years, however, the basis and foundation upon which the AP classes were built on have been diverted. The rising popularity of the AP classes and the sense of superiority associated with students who take these classes have changed the course of the program. Across the high school, you would find many students taking several AP classes beginning as early as their sophomore year, with the majority taking about 2 or 3 AP classes a year. The motive or reason behind taking the classes however varies greatly, from students taking the course in hopes of advancing their knowledge in preparation for their studies in college, to students who take the course merely for the sense of intelligence to be accorded to them. The latter, however, has been on the rise, which has led to many questioning the worth of AP classes. 

This arises as a student might decide to take on a more academically challenging class in a subject that’s not in line with their study than to take on a less challenging class in that same subject. By doing so, students' grades drop as they lack the interest needed to successfully partake in AP classes and score a reasonable grade on the AP exam. Therefore, AP classes aren’t beneficial to students who only take them to feel superior to their mates academically.