GPA Boosting Classes Has Its Pros and Cons 5.0 A+

[Story by Hannah Joo]

As students reach the end of the school year, courses for the next year must be selected and students start to ponder upon their choices. Freedom High School offers a selection of more than 150 different course options for students. With all the AP, DE, honors, and academic classes, students choose courses that are the right fit for them but also challenge them.

Every class holds individual difficulty levels and can vary based on the teacher. Many students sign themselves up for classes and their credit without realizing the workload or troubles it may cause them. Courses students take can heavily impact their stress levels or the lifestyle they can start to adapt.

“I am currently taking three APs, one DE, and one honors class,” said junior Anthony Pham. “I think the workload difference is extremely different for each class. My AP classes, of course, give the most amount of work and studying times, DE, gives a fair amount of work, while honors is a fairly easy class for me.”

The class rigor, workload, and impact of taking specific classes creates varying stresses, both positively and negatively.

“I get really stressed with the workload that my teachers press on me because I have many classes that I have to handle, but I did want to challenge myself during junior year so I don’t regret the classes I chose. I also got to meet a lot of new people and made new friends this year because my classes like AP Psych and Sports Marketing have people from several grades. I think my class workload gives me a fair amount of time to do any after school activities or things I want to do for myself,” said Pham.

Junior year in high school is usually the year that students have the hardest time, as they sign up for the more rigorous classes. Before their senior year, students tend to aim for harder classes to prepare themselves for college. Many senior students also continue to take demanding classes, but take it easier than their junior year.

Sophomore Claire Lee takes a challenging AP World History course.

“My one and only AP class, AP World History, is my hardest class because it is my only AP class,” Lee said. “Compared to my other honors classes, I have the hardest time keeping up and maintaining a decent grade. There’s definitely a big differ- ence between my honors and AP classes. My honors classes are much more lenient while AP moves so much faster with more content. I have to prepare for junior year when I will probably be taking more AP classes with a bigger workload.”

Student’s usually express their struggle with classes because each teacher holds differing expectation levels for their classes.

Luther Meyer, an honors and AP physics teacher, said, “Between my honors and AP physics classes, the difficulty level is very different. I expect much more from my AP classes and assign harder, more challenging assignments for them because the course is much more rigorous. With my honors class, I am much more lenient with them on assignments and work.”

As each class’s difficulty levels rise, teachers expect much more from their students. Student’s must choose the courses that are the best fit for them and will help them succeed. Some students challenge themselves extremely, while others play it safe with the easier classes. Students believe the difference between AP, DE, honors, and academic classes is important for students to understand for a healthy balance in their lifestyle.