The heaviest weight I carry is not from my bulky textbooks, it is from my jam-packed schedule and my brain full to the brim with abstract concepts, calculus theorems and the lexicon used in my composition and language class.
I am an AP student, the nerdiest of the nerds, what some would call smart, but I would attribute most of my academic success to determination and an abundance of time for schoolwork and not an inner Einstein.
Sophomore year I made the bold move to take three AP classes knowing it would either be the best or worst decision I could make grade-wise.
It was extremely challenging, but I do not regret it even for a second.
I had to learn how to study and manage my time, and I was able to finally understand why collaboration is important.
AP classes constantly highlight skills that make the difference between graduating or not from college one day.
Had I never taken the courses I have, I wouldn’t have ever been able to write a research paper as detailed as I do or know myself well enough that I know what notetaking style benefits me the most or how to read a textbook without having to reread the same sentence over and over.
The classes I take are not for everyone however, I often notice people who would be better off in an honors class because it can very quickly get too challenging and once it does there’s no catching up.
Being an AP student means you are pretty much only an AP student, I can easily spend four to five hours doing homework and studying, sometimes even doing additional practice that is not assigned or ever graded.
There are certainly negatives to taking AP courses, I have had to stay up well past midnight before to get work done.
I have cried all over my notes because I couldn’t understand them or because my grade dipped after a bad test.
I often push myself to accomplish things that sometimes aren’t worth the stress I experience or the time I could use to have a life beyond homework.