Choosing what classes to take in high school is always a detailed process, especially when considering Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The difficulty and workload of the coursework are common concerns for much of the student population, but many students have positive experiences. If you’re looking to enroll in AP classes in the future, hearing students’ honest reviews of some advanced courses they’ve taken will be a huge help to determine what classes are perfect for you.
AP Language and Composition is a common class for many juniors. During the course, students will read non-fiction texts and rhetorically analyze the choices that writers and speakers make. This class helps students with speaking, listening and most importantly, their writing skills.
“I personally enjoyed AP Lang, while some don’t see the immediate effects from the class it definitely will show in future classes along the way, it really helped me with public speaking and thinking more about why people make certain moves in literature and even in real life like politics,” senior Kaedyn Hatheway said.
“AP classes are probably the most interesting classes that you could be a part of at West Forsyth. The environment, the kids, even the teachers all come together to create that atmosphere. I would definitely recommend taking AP Lang with Mr. Egan. In the few months that I’ve had with him teaching me, he’s actually changed so much about me and he’s changed other kids in his class as well. Just like other AP teachers he truly loves his job and chose to teach an AP class for a reason. To those teachers, it’s not just about the money, it’s about changing our lives. So if I were to recommend taking an AP class, I would have to say absolutely,” junior Eugene Hollins said.
Another popular class for sophomores, juniors and seniors is AP Environmental Science. AP Environmental Science, or APES, is a class that helps students understand natural world relationships and analyze environmental problems caused by humans.
“I really liked AP Environmental Science because there isn’t a huge workload and the content you learn is actually interesting. APES is also a good entry-level AP class,” senior Adam Frucht said.
“I really like APES, the teacher is funny and helps us to better understand the topics while still keeping the class interesting,” junior Nick Goodrum said.
“I really enjoy APES as my first AP class because it is not too overwhelming but it still provides a great challenge,” junior Zane Culler said.
AP U.S. History (APUSH), is a very popular class for juniors and seniors to take. APUSH doesn’t have any prerequisites, but most students chose to wait and take it their junior or senior year. Many students also take AP World History their freshman or sophomore year to be more prepared and accustomed to the expectations and environment of a history based AP class. APUSH teaches students on how to broaden their knowledge of US historical concepts as well as analyzing primary and secondary sources. APUSH is a difficult class but if students stay on top of their work and give their best effort, the class will be very helpful and fun too.
“One AP class I would recommend students take is AP US History. This class has helped me improve my studying and comprehension skills. I find the content very interesting and believe that it is a great class to take if you enjoy history and learning about how our country came to be,” junior Lily Duncan said.
“I would recommend for students to take APUSH at West because Mr. Dunham is the best teacher ever. He genuinely cares about his students and puts in effort to make class enjoyable. APs can seem daunting and stressful but APUSH is a really great class to take to just get some AP experience,” senior Sydney Baldwin said.
One of the most loved and encouraged AP classes is AP Psychology. AP Psych is an inviting and well-loved AP. AP Psychology teaches students foundational concepts that cover how and why people think and behave the way they do.
“In my opinion if a student only had the option of taking one AP class before they graduate high school, it would be AP psychology. Learning about psychology opened up multiple new perspectives on the intricate components of the brain and allowed me to connect real life scenarios to the content we were learning in class,” junior Chloe Schram said.
“I took AP Psych at West and I highly recommend taking it to everyone. Psych was my favorite class I took at West. You’ll get to learn about how the human brain works and about the human mind. Every unit taught was very interesting and actually fun to learn about,” senior Haegen Paschold said.
“I would highly recommend AP Psych for students at West Forsyth because of how fun and interesting the content is. The content is definitely easier to learn when the lessons are fun and engaging,” junior Tate Smith said.
AP Government and Politics (AP GOPO) is a commonly taken class between sophomores through the seniors. The class is not considered to be too rigorous or difficult so it is definitely a good entry AP. AP GOPO teaches students about the three branches of government, political culture and the overall functions of the government.
“I think people should take AP GOPO because it’s very helpful just learning about the world and Mrs. Corey is a really good teacher,” sophomore Campbell Baldwin
“I believe AP Government and Politics is a crucially important class that will allow you to develop a deeper understanding of U.S. democracy. This is important especially today because knowledge of how the government system works in our country is incredibly useful information when you are eligible to vote for possible office members,” junior Chloe Schram said.
“I didn’t originally want to take AP Government and Politics because it’s never really interested me. Now that I’ve taken it though, I’ve been able to develop my own political opinions. The class itself is pretty boring, but overall it’s very easy to study for and I feel it is very helpful in the real world,” junior Campbell Pitts.
“I really love AP Pre-Calculus right now. Most of the time I forget it’s an AP because of how easy the teacher is to follow. I think all high school students should at least try AP courses because it’s a great head start for college and they can decrease future student debt,” sophomore Khloe Katula said.
If you are planning on taking any AP classes in the future, take these students’ suggestions and choose wisely. AP classes are more difficult compared to standard and honors classes but they are definitely worth it as long as you put forth your best effort.
