Bittersweet AP Classes: How Advanced Placement classes can shape different perspectives from students and teachers alike 8 Atypical Roads: How the roads diverge for high school seniors

Nieed Guillaume was once a high school student at Nova High School who focused on nothing but rigorous and challenging classes, striving for a bright future. Being a high achieving student in athletics and academics, it was his main priority to indulge in many Advanced Placement (AP) courses junior year and score straight A’s to meet his dream university: University of Florida. After realizing one quarter into the year that this would be the first time his gradebook would not see only 90 percent and above, immense fear and stress began to cloud Guillaume’s mind. “I won’t have a successful future later in life,” Guillaume said. Now, at 19 years old and enrolled at the University of Florida, Guillaume concluded that this was not a true statement, not even in the slightest. The experience of AP classes can be frightening to many, especially when not knowing what one has signed themself up for. Students across the country find themselves with a large weight upon their shoulders when it is time to start prioritizing college choices and keeping a good grade point average. Pressure of academics can spawn from several varied factors, ranging from parental expectations or just desperately wanting to secure a spot at a prestigious school. Before high school students make the decision to take part in a multitude of AP courses, they should be informed on what is to come. “AP courses themselves are very beneficial, since they provide college credits and are great for your college application,” Nova High School senior Pascal Pratt said. “With that being said, it is very likely that the workload coming your way is definitely not what you typically receive.”

Pratt is one of many students that are tackled by loads of stress every year during AP enrollment when their grades drop to a stage that they aren’t used to seeing, regardless of what specific course is being taken.

This is an experience most high school students have when taking part in high level classes. In fact, some students can average a letter grade lower in AP courses compared to what they had prior due to the rigor. “To be completely honest, seeing a B for the first time in my gradebook was very concerning for me. I had always been used to having near perfect grades,” Flanagan High School senior Daniel Radescu said. “It turns out, I still received spots in most of the schools I aimed to get into.”

While academic achievement can bring upon stress and anxiety towards the minds of students currently striving for success, colleges take into consideration the difficulty of AP courses too. Offers and acceptance of applications can still go through when a student is keeping good grades in non-AP classes and passing grades in AP courses, even if they are not straight A’s. “Something that the curriculum has taught me really is that it is always better to get a B in an Advanced Placement class than to take a standard one and completely ace it,” Western High School senior Ashleigh Fasciana said. Apart from worrying about performance and academic achievement in higher level courses, there are also students in AP that find it important to have a healthy studying routine. “School does tend to take lots of time out of my week, especially when taking more rigorous classes,” CCHS junior Calvin Cousins said. “Having a healthy mind always leads to better results in work. I personally get an hour of homework done every weekday, so I don’t have to worry about procrastination.” According to Cousins and his experience in AP enrollment, spacing out time can be very important to stay sharp mentally. Peter Tytell, an AP Calculus teacher at Nova High School, believes that AP enrolling students should take a deep breath and not try to see so far into the future based on current performance. “I have witnessed tons of students in my class that assume if they aren’t completely aceing each exam that comes their way, they are doomed for later on,” Tytell said. “It is just simply not true.” On top of receiving help from teachers in class, regardless of whether it is through asking questions or talking after the session is over, there are other resources to take advantage of for help as well. Here at CCHS, tutoring is held after school to help students in subjects that may be struggling in. Students on campus are encouraged to request assistance and attend tutoring sessions if there is any circumstance where they are falling behind. BY DIMITRIS MELETIS

How the roads diverge

for high school seniors Atypical Roads

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both”- Robert Frost (The Road Not Taken) The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost is a perfect analogy for the tumultuous time of college decisions for a senior; it’s a time in which the graduating class must leave the peers that they have been accustomed to for new ones. But it’s similarly important to recognize the “roads” graduates are choosing to take. Some have found their interests outside of going the traditional postsecondary school route, whether that be a trade school or joining the armed forces, many have decided to not opt for the path that has been indoctrinated into us since middle school: attending a four-year university. But overall, the undergraduate college enrollment rates are on the decline. There are approximately 16.6 million undergraduate students nationwide, which is 6.6% less than the last census. However, CCHS has an overwhelming rate of students planning on attending a four-year university. “I have always dreamed of being a Gator and pursuing a career in medicine,” senior and incoming freshman at the University of Florida Danielle Robins said. “Going to college allows for me to begin my medical journey as I am majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-med track. I also couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go to my dream school!” The “road” to college, however, is very winding. There are many factors that determine one’s success, some of which are just beyond their control. Whether this may be finances or other personal reasons that may render it impossible for them to be away from home for extended periods of time.

“I’d like to go to a 4-year university because it would give me those essential connections for the future,” junior Jake Adams said. “It also increases my chances for a more successful career path.” “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” For many students, this mantra applies to college as well. In which the “one less traveled by,” otherwise known as alternate paths than the popular four-year university, is the path that will make “all the difference” to them and their future endeavors. There are also other undeniable factors that lead to people being interested in “less traveled” paths, for instance, it may work better with one’s preferred learning style. “I am very interested in trade school because it’s a whole different experience than college, you’ll get to meet more kids that have the same mindset as you and it isn’t all about textbooks and online work,” junior Jake Monroe said. “To me, trade school is mostly hands-on work rather than just trying to pass the class like in a college.”

There is, undeniably, a certain attitude about college. Many students feel pressure to go to a four-year university; they may feel that a degree is a symbol of success, or there may be residual pressure from their parents or other outside influences. The students’ sphere of influence is what defines them. It is commonly said that “birds of a feather flock together.” But with few examples to model after, it makes the idea of wanting to branch out from the norm even more difficult. For teenagers and young adults, breaking the norm of conformity is rare; so without guidance, many may fall into the proverbial cycle of unhappiness in college. It’s cyclic to see people enter a university for the wrong reasons and then fail to follow through on their original “road.” But if this mentality of clinging to a four-year university was broken, then thousands of dollars, and potential damages will be prevented. “I shall be telling this with a sigh, somewhere ages and ages hence…”

BY NICOLE NADLER